An administrative gridlock has gripped the Ministry of Commerce as newly appointed Secretary Ataur Rahman failed to attend office for 20 days following his appointment. Meanwhile, the official he was meant to replace remains in his post despite a transfer order issued by the Ministry of Public Administration.
The vacancy arose following the death of the then commerce secretary Mahbubur Rahman on 17 April. Since then, Additional Secretary Abdur Rahim Khan has been serving as the acting secretary.
Sources within the ministry suggest that Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir lobbied for Khan to be permanently appointed to the role, citing his extensive experience in managing the ministry’s affairs.
However, on 25 May, during the Eid holidays, the Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification appointing Ataur Rahman – formerly an additional secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs – as the new commerce secretary.
Concurrently, Abdur Rahim Khan was transferred to the Ministry of Labour and Employment on 1 June.
Despite these orders, the transition has stalled. Khan continues to work at the Commerce Ministry, claiming he has not yet been “released” from his current duties. On the other hand, Ataur, while technically “joining” the post on June 1, has not physically attended the office.
When questioned by TIMES of Bangladesh regarding his absence, Ataur said, “I joined on June 1, but I just haven’t attended the office yet. I will start from Tuesday [16.6.26].”
When pressed on whether he faced any obstacles, he requested that the matter be viewed “positively.” Attempts to reach Commerce Minister Abdul Muktadir for comment were unsuccessful as he did not return calls over two consecutive days.
This situation highlights a growing “nerve war” within the civil service as the BNP government restructures the administration following the national elections, replacing the setup left by the interim government.
Experts suggest this is part of a broader trend of power struggles at the top tiers of the bureaucracy.
A similar incident occurred in March when three secretaries under the Ministry of Finance were removed without the Finance Minister’s knowledge, an act only reversed after his personal intervention.
The appointment has also raised concerns regarding administrative protocol and seniority. Abdur Rahim Khan is an official of the 15th batch of the Administration Cadre, whereas Ataur Rahman belongs to the 18th batch of the Economic Cadre.
AKM Abdul Awal Mazumder, a former secretary and public administration expert, noted that the incident reveals a profound lack of coordination between ministries.
He added, “If the Ministry of Public Administration posts an official, they are bound to follow it. This has not happened here. Administrative tradition dictates that if a junior official is to be appointed over a senior, the senior official should be relocated first to maintain order.”
Prof Sadik Hasan of Dhaka University’s Department of Public Administration warned that such internal friction suggests that “power centres within the government are not unified.”
He cautioned that if this lack of discipline persists, it could lead to long-term chaos where “subordinate officers may no longer follow the instructions of their superiors.”
Former officials warned that these public displays of indecision weaken the government’s perceived leadership and encourage factionalism within the civil service.
