---

In a landmark move aimed at ensuring transparency and meritocracy, the Ministry of Finance has unveiled the Promotion Policy 2025, introducing a unified system for promoting employees in four specialised banks across Bangladesh.

The policy applies to staff at Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, Bangladesh Development Bank Limited, and Probashi Kallyan Bank. According to the finance ministry circular, the initiative aims to eliminate long-standing inconsistencies in promotion standards and evaluation criteria that have hindered career progression within these institutions.

Key Features of the New Policy:

• Merit-Based Evaluation: Promotions will now be based on a mix of academic qualifications, job performance, seniority, and training credentials.
• Exam Structure: Candidates must obtain qualifying marks determined by the respective bank boards, comprising:
  • 50% from a written exam
  • 30% from an oral exam
  • 20% from service record and training performance
• Annual Confidential Report (ACR): Employees must meet minimum ACR standards to be considered for promotion.
• Clean Service Record Mandatory: Employees under disciplinary proceedings or with unresolved penalties will be ineligible for promotion.
• Promotion Committees: Each bank must form a dedicated promotion committee, chaired by a senior official and including members from HR and audit wings to ensure procedural integrity.
• Observer from Finance Ministry: For promotions to senior officer and higher ranks, a representative from the Financial Institutions Division must be present as an observer.
• Annual Cut-off Date: Eligibility will be assessed based on a fixed date each year.
• Review Board for Repeated Failures: Employees failing to earn promotion after three attempts will have their cases reviewed by a special board to examine potential procedural lapses or extenuating circumstances.
• Mandatory Training: Completion of role-specific training programmes will be a prerequisite for appearing in the promotion assessment.

Impact Expected

The policy is expected to bring clarity and structure to promotion procedures, significantly improving employee morale and motivation in the specialised banking sector. Officials noted that many employees in these banks have long suffered from a lack of consistent and transparent promotion pathways.

By institutionalising fairness and performance-based advancement, the new policy is seen as a step towards improving the operational efficiency of specialised banks, which play a critical role in the rural economy, SME development, and migrant worker welfare.

The Ministry of Finance expects full implementation to begin in the upcoming calendar year.