GRESHAM'S

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An Analysis of the
Bangladesh Bureaucracy

AKBAR ALI KHAN

The University Press Limited

Contents

List ofTables and Figure x

List of Abbreviations xv
Preface xvii
Chapter 1 : Prolegomena 1
1.1 Gresham's law Syndrome 1
1.2 Many faces of bureaucracy 4
1.3 Transplantation of bureaucracy in developing
countries and Isomorphic mimicry 11
1.4 Isomorphic mimicry in Bangladesh
administration 23
1.5 Thesis and plan of study 29
Chapter 2 : Historical Roots of Civil Service
in Bangladesh 33
2.1 Bureaucracy in ancient and medieval
South Asia 33
2.2 Civil service in British India 37
2.3 Civil service in Pakistan, 1947-71 57
2.4 Conclusion 68
Chapter 3 : The Structure of Civil Service in
Bangladesh 73
3.1 Introduction 73
3.2 Major challenges for restructuring of
civil service in Bangladesh 74
3.3 New structure of civil service in
Bangladesh 85
3.4 Assessment of service reforms in
Bangladesh 95
viii Gresham's Law Syndrome and Beyond

Chapter 4 : Departures from Merit: The Most Complex

Quota System in the World 105
4.1 Introduction 105
4.2 Historical evolution and legality of quota
system in Bangladesh 107
4.3 Comparison of quota systems in Bangladesh
and other developing countries 126
4.4 Effects of quota system in Bangladesh 136
4.5 Indirect effects of quota system 153
4.6 Summary and recommendations 155
Chapter 5 : Recruitment and Training: The Myths
and Reality 161
5.1 Introduction 161
5.2 Trends in recruitment in BCS since 1972 and
an assessment of personnel planning 162
5.3 Qualification 166
5.4 Examination system for recruitment 170
5.5 Agency for recruitment 176
5.6 Training 180
5.7 Conclusion 191
Chapter 6 : The Challenges of Discriminating the Good
from the Bad: Appraising Government
Executives in Bangladesh 193
6.1 Objectives and methods of Performance appraisal 194
6.2 Evaluation of the Performance appraisal
system in Bangladesh 206
6.3 Trends of Performance appraisal of class-I
officers in Bangladesh 217
6.4 The options for reforms 228
Chapter 7 : Compensation in Bangladesh Civil Service—
the Imperative for a New Paradigm 235
7.1 Introduction 235
7.2 Historical evolution and legal basis of
compensation in Bangladesh public service 236
7.3 Adequacy of compensation 243
 Contents ix

7.4 The effects of narrowing of compression ratio 246

7.5 Major deficiencies of salary structure and
recommendations 250
Chapter 8 : The Vicious Circle of Politicization 259
8.1 Politics and bureaucracy 259
8.2 Legal and constitutional Standing of
bureaucracy in Bangladesh 266
8.3 The politicization of bureaucracy in Bangladesh 269
8.4 Overall implications of politicization 281
Chapter 9 : Strategies for Reforms 285
9.1 Experience of reforms 285
9.2 Significance of the Bangladesh conundrum 291
9.3 Sequencing and speed of reforms 297
9.4 Agenda and sequencing of reforms in
Bangladesh 304
Chapter 10 : Beyond Gresham's Law Syndrome 311
10.1 Introduction 311
10.2 Political reforms and governance reforms 313
10.3 Eliminating isomorphic mimicries 314
10.4 "Democratizing Democracy" 323
Appendixes 327
Bibliography 341
Index 351