Competent sources said an official of the Ministry of Establishment yesterday brought the summary of the promotions with a list of names of new joint secretaries placed at the Prime Minister's Office PMO).

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is expected to approve the promotion today and gazette notification will be issued immediately after the initial of the president.

The sources said the list includes names of over 70 deputy secretaries of different batches and cadres, mostly from the BCS administration.

Khaleda has consulted her senior colleagues about the promotion, said a top official at the PMO asking not to be named

They are LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Agriculture Minister MK Anwar, among a few others, the official added.

He however said how many deputy secretaries will be made joint secretaries has not yet decided.

He added that more than 200 senior assistant secretaries are likely to get promotion to deputy secretary this month.