BTB set to get fewer staff than sought

Ismail Hossain | Published: May 10, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) is going to get one fourth of its workforce it sought under the board's new organogram to be effective from the upcoming financial year, officials said.
The new organogram along with BTB service rules is now awaiting the vetting of the Ministry of Law.
The officials said the tourism board would get the new organogram since its inception four years ago.
According to a source,Â the new organogram holds only 39 positions for the tourism promotion, although the board sought 154 posts.
On September 13, 2010, the government formed BTB to boost the tourism sector. Later, the government appointed 17 people as board members of BTB. Of them, 12 members were bureaucrats.
Currently, there are only 12 people running the entire tourism board which is extremely inadequate for BTB. Of the 12, nine persons are from Parjatan Corporation on deputation.
"The organogram has been approved in the finance ministry, ministry of public administration and ministry of tourism and aviation, now it is lying at the Ministry of Law for vetting," Akhtaruzzaman, a senior official of the board, told The Financial Express.
According to the Tourism Board Act, a government officer or a tourism expert will be appointed as CEO. Despite option for appointment of a professional as CEO, the government selected CEO from among government officers, bypassing professionals.
Currently, Akhtaruzzaman Khan Kabir, a joint secretary, is working as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
BTB created 154 posts in the organogram where 30 top slots are supposed to be filled with government administrators.
Sources said according to the proposed organogram, there are three Directors, seven Deputy Directors and 19 Assistant Directors are on the board and Deputy Secretary, Senior Assistant Secretary and Assistant Secretary will hold those posts respectively.
The fresh organogram will have only two directors, four deputy directors and six assistant directors; all would come from cadre service.
Meanwhile, stakeholders have long been opposing the idea to run the tourism board by bureaucrats.
They want most of the posts to be filled by the professionals and experts. They said bureaucrats have already been appointed in the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation and they failed to promote country's tourism effectively.
After independence, the state-run Parjatan Corporation didn't play any role in promoting the tourism sector. That's why both private and government quarters raised voice for doing something in alternative way and the government made the Tourism Act 2010 to establish BTB.
"BTB formulated an organogram wherein top officials will be appointed from cadre service to rule the roost-with all the possibility tying up the prospective sector's growth with the red tape," an industry insider said.
Zamiul Ahmed Zamil, Chairman of Tour Developers Association of Bangladesh, does not see any hope in the BTB to lead the tourism industry of the country. Â
"I think bureaucrats will make a new Parjatan Corporation here in BTB," he said.
However, nine officials of Parjatan Corporation, who now work for the BTB, want to stay in the tourism board. BTB proposed the ministry to keep the provision for the officials but organogram was approved excluding them.
"We want to stay here as we love the BTB, we have been involved in every steps it took in last four years," said Akhtaruzzaman, who was posted from Parjatan Corporation on deputation.