Due to lack of vacancies in the upper echelon, the officers serving in the same post for over fifteen years have become frustrated, there being no immediate possibility of a change in sight.

"Unless someone at the level of an assistant director dies we have no hope of getting promoted," said one of the victims. He said, "But certainly we don't want that one dies to give us a lift. The problem is that the promotion structure at the DA is such that we got stuck."

According to the DA sources, Md Farhad Hossain joined DA on July 7, 1976 as drug superintendent and is still serving at the headquarters in the same post.

His other DS colleagues, AA Salim Barami, Abul Khair Choudhury, Mina Hwura joined on January 10, 1984; Dr Zakia Khatun, Arun Kumar Saha and Abul Kalam Azad on July 13, 1979 and Abdul Majid on June 5, 1980. They are still serving in the same posts.

To make things worse, the health directorate often deputes doctors at the assistant director level blocking promotions within the DA, sources alleged. In last four years four such officials from health directorate have been posted at the DA to fill the vacant posts but the health ministry allegedly ignored promoting the DSs.

To overcome the deadlock the DA proposed a fresh organisational set up.

On January 13 last year a secretary-level meeting of three ministries -- finance, establishment and health -- decided to raise staff strength and turn the DA into a directorate to create more posts.

At least six posts of director to be assisted by several assistant directors was proposed and also endorsed at the meeting. Another meeting on May 15 last upheld the earlier proposals to end the deadlock over promotion at the DA and further strengthen the administration's activities.

But the hope for turning the DA into a directorate is fading as bureaucratic tangles delay approval of the new set-up.

Financial involvements are now being reviewed at the health ministry that is to send the proposal to the finance and establishment ministries for clearance.