All the seven either have close links to the ruling alliance or they are relatives of influential people in the government, sources said.

The officials are Director General of Food Fazlur Rahman, Director General of Bangladesh Betar Nazmul Ahsan, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Hasan Mahmud Delwar, Private Secretary to the President Hemayetuddin Khan, BGMC Chairman AFM Solaiman Chowdhury, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Dr Selina Ahsan and Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Ferdous Ara Begum, according to an official announcement yesterday.

Of the promotees, Nazmul Ahsan and Hasan Mahmud Delwar are from the 1973 BCS batch and the others belong to the 1979 batch.

AFM Solaiman Chowdhury, who was also made joint secretary under the president's quota, came in the good of the present government for his activities when he was deputy commissioner of Neni during the last general national election.

Selina Ahsan is a close relative of former BNP secretary general late Abdus Salam Talukder and incumbent State Minister for Finance and Planning M Anwarul Kabir Talukder.

Former tax official Ferdous Ara Begum is the wife of Prime Minister's Press Secretary Tajul Islam.

Officials pointed out that a good number of officials fulfilled all the criteria for promotion long ago but are yet to be promoted. But the government is promoting officials who failed to meet the criteria, they regretted.

All the seven officials promoted this time might get important posting soon, they thought.