Bangladesh’s Parliament Secretariat faces allegations of major irregularities in a newly gazetted seniority list for officers, published on July 23. Disadvantaged officers claim that the revised list ignored an earlier, corrected list prepared during the interim government period and elevated several junior officials above senior colleagues. The allegations concern promotions to deputy secretary and equivalent fifth-grade posts under the National Pay Scale 2015.

According to the report’s review of the lists, Senior Committee Officer Rahat Ara Imam moved from 11th place in the draft list to first place in the final version. Officers alleged that a June 11 notification brought forward her sixth-grade joining date from March 29, 2023 by two years, while her ninth-grade joining date was shown as December 24, 2013 instead of June 22, 2015. Imam said the Human Resources Division prepared the list and said she had not received promotion on time in the past.

Several senior officers were pushed down the final ranking, the report said. Experienced Public Administration Ministry rules officials said seniority in feeder posts should guide promotion seniority. Parliament Secretariat Secretary Barrister Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan declined comment without reviewing documents. TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said departures from genuine seniority would constitute administrative irregularity and any improper influence should be investigated.