After the final hearing of a writ petition, the HC bench of Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Sashanka Shekhar Sarkar also directed for sending government officials who have been made OSD to their respective posts immediately.
It asked the senior secretary of the Public Administration Ministry to form a committee headed by a senior secretary to find out those have been kept as OSD for more than 150 days and take necessary steps within 90 days after scrutinising every case.
The committee was asked to submit a compliance report.
In its order, the court said the government has the authority to make an official OSD but keeping on OSD for more than 150 days is illegal.
Advocate Anik R Haque stood for the writ petitioner while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state.
Anik said currently, a total of 775 government officials have been working as OSD for more than 150 days which is tarnishing their image socially.
Former secretary M Asafuddoula filed the writ petition on May 31, 2012 challenging the legality of keeping an official as OSD.
Hearing the writ, the HC issued a rule on June 4 of the year, seeking explanation as to why keeping an official as OSD beyond specific time and paying them from the public coffer should not be declared unconstitutional.