Commercial wings of embassies

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BANGLADESHI missions abroad are limited in number. What creates more concern is that the commercial wings in the real sense of the term exist in only 20 of them and even these wings have been suffering badly due to adequate staff strength. Reportedly, the commercial wings at these 20 stations have been functioning with a handful of staff for a long time.
Clearly, the imperative is to fill these positions at the understaffed commercial wings of the missions at the fastest. But the staffing must not follow the tradition of dispensing favours to loyal bureaucrats. The posts must go to really dynamic and resourceful persons. Traditionally, civil servants from the ministry of commerce are sent to these posts. But most of them seem to look at their posts as sinecures. This will have to change. There is no reason why tradition should not be broken to put the right man in the right place.
Government may go for recruitment of suitable persons with the background and talent for these posts from outside the civil services. They should then be given renewable contractual appointment for, say, about a year with fixed annual targets set before them for preparing reports on trade openings, actual establishment of contacts between Bangladeshi exporters and importers of the host countries, holding of exhibitions of Bangladeshi products, etc.
The appointments and contracts may be continued on fulfilment of the set target but rescinded for non fulfilment of targets. Rewards may be given for surpassing the targets. In other words, there should be clear policies to appoint truly capable persons in these posts in the first place. They must be obliged to work under a framework in which they will realise that their jobs are not for passing time luxuriously abroad or spending fruitlessly the entertainment part of the budgets of embassies. They should be kept on their toes knowing that retaining their jobs and the perks depend on meeting clearly set targets. Only such a well-laid structure of accountability, goals, penalties and rewards for the ones to hold key commercial posts abroad in the missions will promote the country's economic interests.
Abu Imran
Azimpur, Dhaka.