The government issued a transfer order for Jahid Ali Ansary, managing director of state-owned distillery Carew and Company, just a day after the company started producing hand sanitizers amid the ongoing coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic.
On March 23, Carew and Company started producing hand sanitizers and Ansary received his transfer order on March 24.
Under the Industries Ministry, Carew and Company is run by the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC).
Being contacted by Dhaka Tribune over the issue, BSFIC Chairman Sanat Kumar Saha said the transfer order had no connection with the production of hand sanitizers and was just part of a normal procedure for government jobs.
“Before the end of one’s service tenure, every government official is called back to the head office. Ansary’s service period is set to end on mid-April, and therefore, we issued the transfer order,” he added.
Sources at Carew and Company said during the Covid-19 outbreak, Jahid Ali Ansary personally took the initiative to produce hand sanitizers as Carew had plenty of alcohol, which is the main ingredient for sanitization.
Following Ansary’s decision, Carew and Company began producing hand sanitizers and distributed it across the country at a very cheap rate.
However, seeking anonymity, an officer of the company told Dhaka Tribune: “As you know not all government officials are the same. Some officials did not take the initiative positively. Instead, they believed Ansary did this to draw attention to himself from the entire nation. Probably, this was the reason behind his transfer.
“Apart from that, producing hand sanitizers at a cheap cost also affected private companies who sell the product in the market, as the product attracted high demand following the coronavirus outbreak,” the official added.
Responding to Dhaka Tribune, Jahid Ansary said: “I took the initiative to protect the nation from Covid-19 by producing hand sanitizers at a very cheap cost. But, unfortunately I have received the transfer order just within one day of the hand sanitizer production.
“The head office has also appointed another officer as my replacement. But, I want to spend my last service tenure at the Carew and Company because I think the country is now in a crisis period as well as the world, where everyone is fighting against Covid-19. I also want to keep my fight alive,” Jahid Ansary commented.
On March 24, an office order signed by Bangladesh Sugar & Food Industries Corporation’s chief of personnel Md Rafiqul Islam, announced that Jahid Ali Ansary had been transferred from Carew and Company to Bangladesh Sugar Cane Development and Research Wing.
