Appointment of ‘programmers’ stalled for asst programmers!

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Bangla Tribune Report
Published : 15:12, May 24, 2018 | Updated : 17:25, May 24, 2018

Appointment to the post of ‘programmer’ to the Directorate of Information and Communications Technology has been stuck due to a High Court (HC) stay order since December last.


Information department officials said the appointment process was stalled by the HC after representatives of more than 150 ‘assistant programmers’ moved to the court seeking ‘illegal’ promotion.
Sources said the Prime Minister using her special power appointed 189 persons as ‘assistant programmer’ to ICT directorate, transferring them from two projects of Computer Council, on the condition that these assistant programmers would not be eligible for any promotion before five years. If eligible candidate for the post of ‘programmer’ is not available ‘among the assistant programmers’ before the completion of the five-year term, the authorities can directly appoint persons for the post of ‘programmer’ directly through Public Service Commission.
Consequently, in face of manpower crisis, the ICT directorate took an initiative to directly appoint manpower for the post of ‘programmer’ in 2016.
On Nov 6, 2017, completing the appointment process, the PSC recommended for the appointment of 56 selected ‘programmers’ to the ICT department for the district level.
But the appointment process got stuck after the recommendation as some of the 189 assistant programmers filed a writ with the HC over the issue, and the HC in response put a stay on the appointment, said ICT directorate sources.
On Dec 6, the HC asked the ICT directorate to clarify its stance over the issue.
“In reply, on Jan 8, Banamali Bhoumik, the then director general to ICT Directorate, told the court that the job of the 189 assistant programmers is not permanent yet, they are not eligible yet for promotion as the 5-year term has not ended. As a result, in face of acute manpower crisis and as part of implementing the Vision-2021, the department initiated for the appointment of ‘programmers’ through PSC,” informed ICT department officials.
Even then, those assistant programmers are filing one after another case, alleged AKM Khairul Alam, the director general to the ICT Directorate.
On condition of anonymity, one of the assistant programmers told the Bangla Tribune: “The government transferred us from a project to the department as our service was needed. Then why separate rules for us only? Our job is not permanent yet. It doesn’t take time to make our job permanent. Without promoting the ‘assistant programmers’, they are trying to directly appoint ‘programmers’. If they are appointed once, we will never get the promotion.”
“Yes, there is a condition of a five-year term. But two and a half years have gone, but SRO has not been issued yet; even our job has not been permanent. We have resorted to legal action because the government and the ICT directorate authorities are neglecting us,” the assistant programmer added in frustration.

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