To make the apparently sluggish bureaucracy dynamic, the CA has stressed the need for scrapping the outmoded acts and rules and regulations of the ministries to simplify their modus operandi. He also asked for display of "client charter" in every government office to help the people get service promptly and without any harassment.

"Your attitude will have to be a positive and problem-solving one from the service-seeker's point of view. You will have to find out ways of resolving problems instead of creating obstacles and rising questions in providing services," he said in his second meeting with the secretaries of the different ministries on May 21.

The CA has spoken of the need to change the rules and regulations for infusing dynamism in the bureaucracy, and for bringing about the desired transformation to a pro-people administration. Quite pertinently, he has thrown a challenge to the civil servants to devise a "client charter" under which they are to be responsive to the needs of the taxpayers and the citizens of the country.

The bureaucracy is a body of professionals who are recruited and trained to serve the people from whom they also receive their impetus for creativity. As employees of the republic they are not expected to be loyal to the party in power, but are required to serve governments of different political ideologies without being partisan to any one of them.

Unfortunately, the bureaucracy in the country suffered much during the tenure of the BNP-led coalition government, due its naked politicisation of the administration.

The BNP-led coalition government, at the fag end of its tenure, gave mass promotions to civil servants entirely on political considerations, apparently for getting them on its side during the election. According to a source in the Establishment Ministry, a total number of 2,380 officials were promoted during BNP's tenure, thus having a demoralising effect on all the tiers of bureaucracy. The bureaucracy came under keen public scrutiny due to such mass promotions.

The other dimension of such mass promotions was that a large number of officers having requisite qualification were deprived of promotion, which sparked agitation in the administration.

A large number of aspirants complained that an influential quarter handpicked the officers considering their loyalty to the BNP and its major coalition partner, Jamaat-e-Islam.

The CTG headed by Fakhruddin saw the disarray in our bureaucracy, and took the commendable step of promoting a good number of officers who were deprived of promotion on political consideration.

Political and dishonest recruitments have tainted the image of the bureaucracy as an institution. The speakers at a seminar organized by Social Science Research Association in the city on May 30 opined that the image of the bureaucracy could be improved through bringing changes in the attitude of the bureaucrats, mainly through imparting proper training, as well as ensuring transparent recruitment.

The 27th BCS examination is a glaring example of the influence of the ruling political class in recruitment. The council of advisers of the CTG, in its meeting held on May 30, approved a proposal by PSC for cancelling the viva voce of the controversial 27th BCS examination after scrutinising the emerging irregularities.

The concept of bureaucracy, which means the rule of officialdom, came into being shortly before the French Revolution of 1789, and from there spread rapidly to other countries. Bangladesh inherited the bureaucratic system introduced by the British ruler.

The civil service in this sub-continent, under the British regime, was regulated as per the terms and conditions laid down in the India Act, 1935, which contained fair and beneficial provisions aiming to protect the interests of civil servants for performing their duties neutrally.

The bureaucracy in Bangladesh, unlike in the neighbouring countries like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, has failed to maintain political neutrality though it is reinforced by rules restricting political activities. Section 30 of the Government Servant's Conduct Rules of 1979 said, "No government servant shall bring, or attempt to bring political or other outside influence, directly or indirectly, to bear on the government or any government servant in support of any claim arising in connection with his employment." But this rule is honoured more in the breach than in observance.

Bangladesh does not have, as yet, any civil service act or any other law regulating the civil service. The Government Servant's Conduct Rules of 1979, the Government Servant's (Special Provisions) Ordinance 1979, the Government Servant's (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 1985, and the Public Servant's Dismissed on Conviction Ordinance 1985, contain the important rules regulating the civil service.

These rules and ordinances do not protect the civil servants from being repressed by the political party in power. This is also a reason for the bureaucrats becoming partisans.

The contribution of bureaucracy to good governance cannot be over-emphasised. Like in any democratic country, good governance in Bangladesh largely depends on the capacity of the civil servants to deliver service efficiently. How prompt and caring the civil servants are in solving the various problems that people face are the key factors for a pro-people administration.

To be frank and candid, politicisation of the administration sought not only to turn bureaucracy into a machine for serving coterie interests but also blemished its professional rectitude.

The CA's directive for making bureaucracy dynamic will be in vain if existing rules and regulations that guide the bureaucracy are not reformed. Accountability and transparency in all actions for building a dynamic and effective administrative system must be ensured through reform. Since independence, Bangladesh has had at least 18 proposals for reform in the bureaucracy. Ironically, none of those was implemented.

The UK government, from whom our bureaucracy is inherited, has gone for reforms and completely transformed its civil service, making it more accountable to ordinary citizens. Many other countries, including Australia and New Zealand, have undertaken administrative reforms. Bangladesh also badly needs to reform its rotten administrative system for making the bureaucracy dynamic, accountable and non-partisan.

ANM Nurul Haque is a columnist of The Daily Star.