With the 13th national parliamentary elections around the corner, attention is mounting within the Secretariat and the civil administration over who will be appointed as the new Public Administration Secretary.

The position, crucial for ensuring a smooth and transparent election process, has drawn significant interest from political circles as well. According to ministry sources, the appointment notification could be issued either on Sunday or Monday.

Meanwhile, public administration experts have advised against making the appointment based on political considerations.

They emphasize that the role requires a competent, capable, and transparent official to prevent any doubts regarding the upcoming elections.

The post became vacant after Senior Secretary Mokhlesur Rahman, who was serving on a contract basis, was transferred to the Planning Commission on September 21.

After just 13 months in the role, he was removed from the Public Administration Ministry. Since then, Additional Secretary Dr. Abu Shaheen Asaduzzaman has been performing the duties of the Public Administration Secretary on an additional charge.

Historically, after the interim government was formed following the student-led mass movement, then Senior Secretary of the Public Administration Ministry, Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, was removed from the post. Mokhlesur Rahman was subsequently appointed on a two-year contract.

The Public Administration Secretary plays a key role in posting and transferring government officials during elections. Ministry sources indicate that some political parties have tried to influence the appointment, while senior officials themselves are lobbying for the post.

The delay in the appointment is partly attributed to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’ nine-day visit to New York to attend the UN General Assembly. He returned to Dhaka on Thursday, September 22.

Multiple sources say that five to six officials are currently in consideration for the role, most of whom are serving on contract appointments.

Among the leading names is Land Secretary A S M Saleh Ahmed, who previously served as private secretary to a leader of the anti-Khaleda Zia opposition. Saleh Ahmed joined the civil service in 2013 as Joint Secretary after serving as Deputy Secretary, retired in 2020, and was appointed Senior Secretary of the Land Ministry on a two-year contract last year.

Housing and Public Works Secretary Nazrul Islam is also under consideration. Appointed to his current post on March 27, he is from the 11th batch of the BCS Administration cadre. Despite his competence, he had not received promotions from 2010 to 2024.

Other potential candidates include Home Ministry Senior Secretary Nasimul Goni, a 1982 BCS Administration cadre officer, and Local Government Division Secretary Rezaul Maksud Zahedi, who assumed his current post on April 7.

Former Secretary A K M Abdul Awal Majumdar stressed that the appointee must be a professional official capable of running the ministry efficiently and independently, without political affiliation.

A Public Administration Secretary must be able to organize the entire administration in a short time and ensure neutrality. Civil servants are meant to be apolitical, and that practice is universal,” he said.

Majumdar added that a neutral and professional Public Administration Secretary would appoint district commissioners, upazila executive officers, and other field officials based on merit, ensuring a fair election.

Former Additional Secretary and public administration expert Mohammad Firoz Mia echoed the sentiment, warning that the current state of the ministry is weak and unprepared.

If Public Administration is not strengthened now, a fair election will be impossible. The appointment must be neutral, competent, and credible. Any perception of political favoritism will be unacceptable to other parties,” he said.

The clock is ticking for the government to fill this pivotal post with a qualified and impartial officer to safeguard the credibility of the forthcoming national elections.