Of the promotees, 97 joint secretaries from the 1973, 1977 and 1979 batches were elevated to additional secretaries, while 49 deputy secretaries, largely from the 1981 batch, were made joint secretaries.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia approved the list yesterday afternoon, 18 days after the Superior Selection Board (SSB), the highest body to handle the issue, submitted its recommendations on August 9.

The selection of officials for promotion by the SSB touched off commotion in the administration and many aspirants complained that the body influenced by some quarters handpicked people on 'political considerations'.

All the promotees have been made officer on special duty (OSD) and posted to the establishment ministry until fresh postings.

In the elevation, officials of the 1973 batch, the most senior batch in the administration, were left out in the cold like on the past two occasions, despite qualifying for promotion.

Official said only 13 officials of the 1973 batch were promoted as additional secretaries, when most of the 1979 batch got a lift.

They said the 1977 and 1979 batches were given top priority in promotion to the posts of additional secretary.

Some senior and eligible officials broke down in tears seeing their names omitted from the lists of promotees despite fulfilment of all the criteria for elevation.

"The promotion to both posts were made on political considerations when many eligible and qualified professionals were dropped from the list without citing any reason," said a high official, requesting anonymity.

The government promoted some additional secretaries to joint secretaries on June 13 last year when 174 officials were elevated.

In the current promotion, officials of other cadres were largely ignored like in the past. Only 31 of them found slots on the list crowded by 115 administrative cadres.

Forty-nine officials were promoted as joint secretaries against nearly 60 vacant posts.

Around 20 eligible officials fulfilling the criteria set for the promotion were ignored because of the alleged reports of having relations with the past Awami League government or having relatives and close friends in the party ranks.

Seventy-three administrative officials easily outnumbered their 24 colleagues from other cadres for additional secretaries.

Ninety-seven officials were elevated as additional secretaries against fewer than 50 vacant posts.

Highly placed sources said a section of mid-ranking officials at the Prime Minister's Office and the establishment ministry played the key role in the selection of promotees and they were 'completely' driven by 'political considerations.'

The influential quarter also dropped some officials from the list out of their 'personal jealousy'.

"Although the government set criteria with specified marks for promotion, it did not follow its own policy," a senior official said.

"Even the officials who topped the merit lists in the BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) examinations were not given promotion. Merit, professional excellence and track record -- nothing was considered."

Sources said Kazi Aminul Islam and Mosharraf Hossain, who stood first and second on the combined merit list of 1981 BCS examination, were ignored due promotion.

The reason for dropping Aminul and Mosharraf may be linked to their service as private secretaries to former deputy minister for food Dhirendara Devnath Shambhu and finance minister Shah ASM Kibria respectively under the past Awami League government.

The senior official felt such selection and promotion of handpicked officials would trigger rancour in the civil administration.

"The government should immediately reconsider the cases of eligible officials who have been ignored in today's promotion."

However, most officials felt that the coalition government is doing justice to the civil servants by resolving the promotion logjam created over the years.

The government in the last two years gave promotion to 493 senior assistant secretaries, 174 deputy secretaries, 49 deputy secretaries and 97 joint secretaries.

Besides, a large-scale promotion was given to some other cadre officials including policemen.

Promotion list on Metro page