Most of the promoted deputies belong to the 1982 batch while remaining others belong to other cadres and a few are leftovers of other batches.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia approved the list yesterday after the Superior Selection Board (SSB), the highest body to handle the promotion issues, submitted its recommendations.

The selection of officials for promotion touched off commotion in the administration and a number of aspirants complained an influenced quarter handpicked people on 'political consideration'.

All of the deputies have been made officer on special duty (OSD) and posted to the Ministry of Establishment until fresh postings.

According to official sources, 95 out of 153 elevated belong to 1982 special Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) batch, nine belong to former secretariat cadre of 1982 batch, eight 1982 BCS regular batch and three BCS 1981 batch.

Of the total 153, 113 belong to BCS (Administration Cadre) while the remaining were drawn from different other cadres, like Postal, Food, Telecom, Information, Audit and Accounts, Commerce, Customs and Excise, Health, Agriculture, Public Works, Statistics, Railway, Economic, Taxation, Fisheries and Roads and Highways cadres of BCS.

Sources said around 50 eligible officials belonging to 1982 BCS special batch were deprived of promotion. Similarly, seven from the 1981 batch, 12 of BCS 1982 regular batch and 10 others were dropped from 1982 (former secretariat cadre) batch.

Additional Secretaries promoted
The government yesterday promoted five additional secretaries to full-fledged secretaries in the administration, according to an official notification.

The new secretaries are: Secretary in-charge [additional secretary] of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Khan Mohammad Ibrahim Hossain, Additional Secretary of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, Executive Director [additional secretary] of Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge Authority Abdul Hey Hawlader, Chairman of Tariff Commission [additional secretary] Sirajul Islam and Additional Secretary of Economic Relations Division of Ministry of Finance and Planning Shaikh AK Motahar Hossain.

Meanwhile, the government yesterday gave one-year contractual service to Additional Inspector General of Police [Special Branch] Farrukh Ahmed Chowdhury cancelling his Leave Preparatory to Retirement.