Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Yusuf Ali has been stand-released and attached to the Ministry of Public Administration following an incident involving Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at Shah Makhdum Airport that sparked debate over a possible breach of protocol.
An order issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on Tuesday directed Yusuf Ali, also an additional secretary, to return to Dhaka at the earliest. He left Rajshahi the same day.
Additional Divisional Commissioner (Revenue) Rezaul Alam Sarkar has been assigned to serve as acting divisional commissioner.
The order, signed by Jeti Prue, deputy secretary of the ministry’s Uni-1 branch, did not specify the reason for Yusuf Ali’s reassignment.
The development came on the day Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited Rajshahi to attend a public rally and other programmes. He arrived at Shah Makhdum Airport in the afternoon and left the city around 7pm.
A video circulated on social media shows the prime minister greeting police and administrative officials lined up to see him off. At one point, Yusuf Ali stepped forward to shake hands with the prime minister and appeared to reach towards him with his other hand. The footage shows the prime minister moving slightly backwards during the interaction.
The incident triggered discussion on social media, with questions raised about whether the commissioner’s conduct breached established VIP protocol.
However, the ministry’s order did not mention the airport incident, and no official statement has confirmed any connection between the interaction and Yusuf Ali’s reassignment.
Attempts to contact acting divisional commissioner Rezaul Alam Sarkar by phone for comment were unsuccessful.
