The government has issued a notification granting retrospective promotion to 764 officials who retired during the Awami League regime. Half of their dues will be paid in the current fiscal year. They will get the remaining money next year.

On Sunday (February 9), the Ministry of Public Administration issued a separate order granting merit-based promotion to the deprived officials.

A notification has been issued granting retrospective promotion to 119 people in the post of Secretary, 41 people in the post of Grade-1, 528 people in the post of Additional Secretary, 72 people in the post of Joint Secretary and 4 people in the post of Deputy Secretary.

The notification states that the officials will get all the financial benefits as per the rules from the date of retrospective promotion to one or more posts. 50 percent of their outstanding dues will be paid in the current fiscal year. The remaining 50 percent will be paid in the next fiscal year.

The notification states that the concerned officer will be considered to have remained in service as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the last promoted post till he attains the age of 57 or 59 years. And after completing the post-retirement leave or retirement preparation leave, he will be considered to have retired from government service on the date fixed for retirement.

The officers will get financial benefits by adjusting their arrears of salary, allowances, pension as per the rules. The PRL or LPR order issued earlier to the concerned officer has been cancelled. Post-retirement leave or retirement preparation leave will be adjusted at the time of salary determination.

The ‘Central Command Center’ will start working in coordination with all forces to improve the law and order situation, said the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam. He also said that this activity will start from this evening.

He said this at a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy on Sunday (February 9) afternoon.

During this time, he spoke about various issues of the country’s economic situation. He said, ‘The economy has turned around in 5 months. During this, the economy has improved by 10 percent. I hope that inflation will come down to 7 percent in July. The inflation pressure will not increase during the month of Ramadan,’ he added.

Expecting that food grain prices will come down, Shafiqul Alam said that food grain prices are falling internationally. This will also have an impact on Bangladesh.

At this time, he also said that land-related complications have been resolved for the construction of Korean EPZs in Bangladesh. Land documents have been handed over to them. As a result, large-scale Korean investment will come to the country. The fallen government was trying to grab land from Korean EPZs, so a lot of their investments went to Vietnam instead of Bangladesh. Now all the crises have been resolved. 

Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the interim government, has expressed deep shock and sorrow over the death of former Chief Election Commissioner and former Supreme Court Justice Mohammad Abdur Rauf.

The Chief Adviser prayed for the eternal peace of the deceased and expressed his deepest condolences to his bereaved family members.

Recalling Justice Rauf's contribution in bringing the country to democracy after assuming the charge of the Chief Election Commissioner on December 25 of that year after the fall of dictator Ershad in the face of mass agitation on December 6, 1990, the Chief Adviser said, "Justice Rauf will be an example again and again in the democratic path of Bangladesh. He will live forever in the hearts of the people of the country through his work."

Professor Yunus also said, "Justice Rauf was a great pillar of civil society. He worked tirelessly for suffrage, reform and democracy, which the nation will remember with respect.

Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed said, I cannot make major reforms, but I want to leave a footprint.

He made this comment at a discussion on the role of remittances in the economy of Bangladesh at the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters (BSRF) office on Sunday (February 9).

The adviser also said, many people ask how soon I will leave, I am ready to leave at any time. My previous job (BRAC University) is still open.

We welcome criticism, some mistakes happen, you (journalists) catch it and we try to correct it. We do not want blind support, you should give positive criticism and we will try.

In response to a question regarding the VAT increase in the middle of the fiscal year, he said, there was no opportunity to increase the immediate tax; Tk. 12,000 crore is not very much. 300 police vehicles have been burned, where we will get that money, where will it come from. If there is VAT on slippers, I will review it, many people ask why VAT is on biscuits, if it is at a low level, I will definitely look into it. But the gap is too big, we are walking on a tightrope, there are dangers in both directions.

He said, the economy has now come to a fair balance, I will not claim that it has come to a complete balance. We are better than other countries. We are trying to start something.