Special Correspondent

Bangladesh’s public administration has long been afflicted by an invisible yet deep-seated malady: political partisanization and the practice of slapping political "tags" on officials and employees. Although the administrative structure of the civil service in post-independence Bangladesh was intended to be founded on neutrality, it has been severely compromised over the past few decades.

Ever since democratic practices were revived in 1991, every successive ruling government has attempted to stamp government officials with partisan seals to serve its own interests and expand its political sphere.

Rather than viewing administrative officials as neutral professionals, an unhealthy subculture of dividing them into two main camps has emerged. One faction brands itself as pro-liberation and systematically marginalizes dissenters or independent-minded officials by labeling them as "anti-consciousness." Conversely, when the opposite camp comes to power, it rewards officials designated as "nationalists" or "champions of Islamic values" while marking the rest as members of the opposition bloc.

Following recent political shifts, a new dimension has been added with the labels of "cronies of autocracy" or loyalists. Due to this division, many talented, efficient, and honest officials have suffered extreme discrimination under past administrations. Political loyalty has been prioritized over merit, seniority, and integrity when making promotion decisions.

Whenever promotions for a batch have been decided, political tags have been exploited to deprive senior officials or batch-toppers, leaving them as Officers on Special Duty (OSD) or posting them to less significant roles. Meanwhile, junior or rear-end batch officials deemed politically loyal have been swiftly promoted to higher positions. Consequently, many veteran and experienced officials have been forced to serve under their own juniors, destroying the administrative chain of command and generating deep frustration, demoralization, and constant fear of job loss within the administration. This trend reached its most alarming peak during the consecutive 16-year rule of the Awami League, forcing many bureaucrats to rapidly alter their political colors and project loyalty to secure administrative favors.

Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, citizens and ordinary officials had hoped that the interim administration or subsequent elected governments would break free from this vicious "tagging culture." Yet, regrettably, the same administrative landscape persists shortly after the transition. Labeling individuals as "autocratic cronies" has resulted in indiscriminate OSD status, transfers to unimportant posts, compulsory retirements citing the completion of 25 years of service, and outright dismissals. Professional competence is routinely sidelined in favor of scrutinizing an official's past relations with the previous regime when deciding promotions and postings.

History bears witness that no political government has ever been saved by creating its own loyal enclaves within the administration. The BNP-Jamaat government of 2001–2006 promoted and posted officials it deemed "its own people," yet those same bureaucrats failed to protect the regime during the political crisis of 2006. Similarly, despite the extreme partisanization inflicted on the administration and law enforcement agencies by the Sheikh Hasina government from 2009 to 2024, that "loyal" machinery failed to safeguard the Awami League administration during the July-August mass uprising of 2024. Therefore, every attempt by governments to cultivate political safety nets behind government officials has ultimately boomeranged.

Whenever power changes hands, a bizarre game of "snakes and ladders" unfolds. Officials who were sidelined, turned into OSDs, or fired as "stepchildren" by the outgoing regime are embraced as "biological children" by the incoming government and rehabilitated with retroactive benefits. In the past, a deprived official has climbed from senior assistant secretary to secretary within a single year. No government is permanent in this musical chair of power; today's ruling party will occupy opposition benches tomorrow. Should other political forces (such as Jamaat or BNP) assume power in the future, a fresh cycle of victimization and OSD designations based on current loyalties will inevitably resume, dragging the entire governance system toward ruin.

Rescuing the republic's administrative structure from this destructive cycle requires immediate fundamental reforms. The government and political parties must recognize that public servants belong to the republic, not any specific party, and the practice of slapping blanket labels of "cronies" or "dissenters" must cease. Merit, integrity, Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs), and operational efficiency must become the sole criteria for promotions and postings through the Public Service Commission (PSC), replacing partisan dossiers.

Simultaneously, government officials must understand their own positions and distance themselves from shameless competitions for opportunistic politics or partisan identities. Only victims and their families truly understand the agonizing weight of untimely job loss or prolonged OSD status, and the legal provisions enabling politically motivated forced retirements at the 25-year mark must be curbed.

Dividing the administration and reducing civil servants to partisan slaves poses a grave threat to national security. A strong, independent, and professional bureaucracy is indispensable for running the state and ensuring citizen-centric services.

Good governance can never be established if political parties fail to keep public servants free from partisan enclaves and allow them to function neutrally in the broader national interest.