The government has promoted 193 deputy secretaries and officials of equivalent ranks to joint secretaries, raising the total number of joint secretaries to 842. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notice in this regard on Thursday night.

According to ministry sources, there are 111 permanent posts of additional secretaries and 430 of joint secretaries. So, it will not be possible for the government to give new postings to the promoted officials and they will remain in their present positions.

As per rules, in addition to promoting the post of joint secretary, 193 officials have been made officers on special duty (OSD). But they have not been posted as there is no permanent post for them as of now.  Earlier, on Dec 11, the government promoted 128 joint secretaries to additional secretaries.  On April 23 last, 267 senior assistant secretaries were promoted to deputy secretaries.

On November 27, 2016, 536 officers got promotion in three categories -- additional secretary, joint secretary and deputy secretary. In its previous tenure, the Awami League government promoted 2,528 officers in phases. Of them, 78 were promoted to secretaries while 293 to additional secretaries, 1,091 to joint secretaries and 1,066 elevated to the rank of deputy secretary.