Amid government denials the home and public administration ministries started to reshuffle both public and police administrations as the government’s tenure comes to a close.
Calling the changes regular part of the public administration, ministry officials said the process would continue as per guidelines of the ministry.
On Tuesday, the ministry reshuffled the offices of nine deputy commissioners (DC), five additional secretaries, eight joint secretaries and six deputy secretaries.
The home ministry promoted four deputy inspectors general (DIG) of police to additional inspector general (additional IG) that same day, out of them, three DIGs are already working as additional IGs.
Despite the major changes, the public administration ministry’s Senior Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikdar denied any reshuffles were taking place.
He said: “It’s the ministry’s regular work. We have only changed the office of the DC’s who were promoted to the rank of joint secretary earlier and have been working over two years, as per decisions of the ministry.”
“It’s not a major reshuffle or any attempt to reorganise the administration,” he stated.
He also said there are more joint secretary level officers in the field level administration serving as DCs who would be replaced shortly, as all DC’s serving in field level administration for more than two years are to be replaced.
Sources in the public administration ministry said 10 months earlier they had prepared a list of about 50 deputy secretaries to be appointed as DCs, as if they are not appointed within two months they lose out on the chance of being promoted to the post of DC.
The decision was therefore taken to replace the DCs with those whose promotions were pending.
Among those promoted are the director of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Abu Hena Morshed Zaman who has been posted as DC in Faridpur while Deputy Director of Rajuk SM Alam has been promoted as DC in Kishoreganj; Public administration ministry’s Deputy Secretary Sohel Imam Khan in Noakhali, Bangladesh Television’s Director Kazi Ashraf Uddin in Pabna, Personal Secretary to ACC Secretary GSM Zafarullah in Madaripur, Dhaka South City Corporation Regional Executive Officer Abul Kalam Azad in Netrokona, Home Ministry Deputy Secretary Zahurul Islam Rohel in Gaibandha, Deputy Director of the BPATC AKM Shamimul Haque Siddiqui in Pirozpur and Economic Relation Division Deputy Secretary A Gaffar Khan was appointed as the DC in Narail.
Meanwhile, DC of Kishoreganj Siddiqur Rahman was transferred to the home ministry, DC of Madaripur Nur Ur Rahman to land ministry and DC of Noakhali to shipping ministry as joint secretary. DC of Pabna Mostafizur Rahman was appointed director of BCS admin academy and DC of Gaibandha Dr Kazi Anwarul Haque as director of BIAM on deputation. The two officers are also joint secretary. DC of Narail Zahirul Haque was transferred to home ministry, DC of Faridpur Mayeen Uddin Ahmed to health and family welfare ministry and DC of Pirozpur Anal Chandra Das to land ministry as deputy secretary. Netrokona’s DC Anis Mahmud, who is a deputy secretary, was appointed as deputy project director to the Identification System for Enhancing Excess to Services projects on deputation.
Among the additional secretaries is Mosharref Hossain of fisheries and livestock ministry posted as officer on special duty (OSD) to the public administration ministry. OSD Additional Secretary Rafiqul Islam was posted to the environment and forest ministry and Kamal Krishna Bhattacharjee as additional secretary to the railway ministry. While OSD Additional Secretary AKM Yahia Chowdhury was appointed as administrator to the office of the Wakf Administrator and environment and forest ministry’s Additional Secretary MA Hannan is on deputation as director general of the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT).
Of the joint secretaries, civil aviation and tourism ministry’s Mizaur Rahman was transferred to fisheries and livestock ministry, Director of the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training Abul Hasnat Md Ziaul Haque to civil aviation and tourism ministry, health ministry’s Sazzad Kabir to commerce ministry, General Manager of Jiban Bima Corporation Lokman Hossain Miah to civil aviation ministry and OSD Faruq Ahmed has been posted to the cabinet division.
Joint Secretary of Agriculture Ministry AMM Azhar was made OSD while Wakf Administrator Nurul Huda was withdrawn from office and sent to the public administration ministry for further posting. OSD Joint Secretary Harunur Rashid was posted as general manager of the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development project, Afroza Parvin as member of Tariff Commission, Dr Shahadat Hossain Mahmud as director of Bangladesh Institute Management, Ali Nur as secretary of the BSCIC and Golam Mostafa Khan as director of BMET.
Meanwhile, four deputy inspectors general of police were promoted to additional IG, among them are Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed, BIWTA Chairman Dr Shamsuddoha Khandokar and CID’s Mokhlesur Rahman and Fatema Begum.
Benazir, Dr Khandokar and Mokhlesur were working as additional IG (current charge) and only confirmed in their posts.