Two top bureaucrats of public administration yesterday went into voluntary retirement – at a time when the government was preparing to initiate departmental proceedings against them for obtaining freedom fighter certificates from the Liberation War Ministry through fraudulence.
Health Secretary Md Neazuddin Miah and Secretary of the Public Service Commission AKM Amir Hossain submitted letters to the public administration secretary, expressing their desire to go into voluntary retirement.
When contacted, Neazuddin told the Dhaka Tribune: “I have done this absolutely on personal grounds.”
Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, the secretary of the Public Administration Ministry, also confirmed that he received the letters and that both the secretaries said they were going into optional retirement for personal reasons.
But competent sources in the Public Administration Ministry confirmed that a few months back when the Liberation War Ministry cancelled the bureaucrats’ freedom fighter certificates issued by their office, the Liberation War Ministry had also asked the Public Administration authorities to take necessary steps about the top officials.
The Public Administration Ministry issued show-cause notices to the two bureaucrats accordingly, asking them to explain why departmental action would not be taken against them for obtaining the certificates despite not being freedom fighters of the Liberation War in 1971.
“We have received the replies to the show-cause notices from the officials and the process was going on to start departmental proceedings against them as their replies were not satisfactory to the government,” said the source.
The official also said: “Though the two officials desired to go into retirement voluntarily on personal grounds, it is likely that they decided to quit their job anticipating or getting information from their sources in the administration that the government was preparing to initiate departmental proceedings against them.”
Although Public Administration Secretary Dr Kamal did not want to make any observation regarding the retirement’s link with the freedom fighters, he confirmed that the two secretaries applied to go into optional retirement just before the initiation of departmental proceedings.
He said according to the existing provision a government official can apply to go into optional retirement after completion of 25 years of service or the government can send any official into retirement, if it desires, on completion of 25 years of service.
As Neazuddin and Amir submitted letters expressing their desire to go into optional retirement, there is no room for them to return to service again; even the government cannot bring them back to their job, as per the service rule.
Dr Kamal said the letters would be sent to the prime minister and then to the president for final approval to their applications.
Neazuddin told this correspondent over phone last night that as per the service rule his voluntary retirement had taken effect from yesterday, the day he signed the letter expressing to go into retirement.
Neazuddin still had two more months before normal retirement while Amir had around a year, said the source in the Public Administration Ministry.
“They [Neazuddin and Amir] possibly sensed that the government was going to take tough stance against them,” said the source, adding that it could have prompted them to go into retirement voluntarily to save their image and all service benefits.
The source said there are three types of highest punishment for the offence of misconduct – dismissal from service, removal from service, and forced retirement. Except for dismissal, an official will get full service benefits if they are removed from service or forced to retire.
The moment a government employee is no more in service, any ongoing process of taking departmental action against the employee will not be valid anymore.
Neazuddin, however, ruled out any link with his freedom fighter certificate scandal behind his decision of going into voluntary retirement.
“This [freedom fighter certificate scam] is not the issue. I felt it was not wise to continue my service,” said Neazuddin.
The Anti-Corruption Commission investigated several months ago and revealed the secretaries’ fraudulence in obtaining a freedom fighter certificate from the Liberation War Ministry.
