DU moves to promote over 200 officials, sparking questions

The Dhaka University (DU) administration has initiated a move to promote more than 200 assistant registrars and equivalent officials -- a step that has triggered concerns over possible violations of the university’s existing promotion rules.

According to the University Employees Recruitment and Promotion Policy-2020, only one-third of the total sanctioned posts of assistant registrar can be promoted to the rank of deputy registrar each year. However, sources at the Registrar Building said the current initiative seeks to promote 207 officials, far exceeding the permissible limit.

Officials familiar with the matter said that under the policy, only 21 assistant registrars or equivalent officers are eligible for promotion annually. At the DU Registrar’s Office, there are 12 sanctioned assistant registrar posts, of which one-third, or four officials, may be promoted each year. Outside the Registrar’s Office, there are 51 equivalent posts, making 17 officials eligible annually.

Despite this ceiling, the administration has moved ahead with a large-scale promotion plan.

Following the political changeover in 2024, the Registrar’s Office invited applications for promotion in February 2025. Officials said many employees were deprived of promotion during the Awami League regime, which prompted the current initiative.

Although steps were taken to draft a new promotion policy, it has yet to be implemented. In the meantime, a syndicate meeting held on February 1, chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmed Khan, approved a report recommending promotion of 187 officials. On Tuesday, the syndicate also accepted applications for reconsideration from another 20 officials.

Several officials at the Registrar’s Office said the Promotion Board is scheduled to interview applicants on February 16 and 17. If its recommendations are endorsed by the syndicate, the promotions will take effect thereafter.

Some administrative officials warned that implementation of the initiative would raise the university’s annual salary expenditure by around Tk 3.5 crore.

Registrar Munshi Shams Uddin Ahmed said the DU Officers’ Association had submitted a list of officials who were deprived of promotion over the last 15 years.

“Our Officers’ Association submitted a list of 187 officials who were deprived of promotion over the last 15 years. When it was sent to the vice-chancellor, he formed a technical committee,” he said.

“The committee’s report was placed before the syndicate, and later the syndicate issued us certain directives. We are proceeding according to those directives,” he added.

Officers’ Association General Secretary Sarwar Hossain said administrative staff had long suffered under the existing promotion framework.

“We have long been deprived due to the current promotion policy. Teachers of this university get 100 percent promotion, whereas we get only one-third,” he said.

“So we applied to the vice-chancellor for special promotion so that those who have long been deprived can be promoted. That is why we sought special promotion for 187 officials,” he added.

Registrar Munshi Shams further said many of the applicants were already drawing salaries under the pay scale of deputy registrar or equivalent posts.

“This will mainly be an upgradation of designation. Since they have been working in their respective posts for a long time, they have already reached this grade. Their increment will increase slightly,” he said.

Asked about the issue at a press conference, VC Prof Niaz said the move was aimed at addressing past deprivation.

“This is a general decision; many government offices have done this,” he said.

“Like other government offices, if anyone has been deprived, we have decided to promote them once under certain conditions. However, the number of officials to be promoted has not yet been finalised,” he added.