Who holds more power in the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief – the minister and state minister, or the secretary?
The question has arisen over the alleged reluctance of the secretary to implement posting orders issued by the public administration ministry and instructions from the minister and state minister.
The latest example involves two joint secretaries appointed as project directors (PDs) of two major projects. Nearly two months after their posting orders were issued, they have yet to join the ministry and remain without offices.
An investigation by TIMES has found that Minister Asadul Habib Dulu and State Minister M Iqbal Hossain repeatedly instructed Secretary Saiful Islam to take steps to facilitate the officials’ joining, but their instructions have yet to be implemented.
Several ministry officials allege that a syndicate formed during the Awami League’s tenure has remained influential throughout the interim government’s tenure and into the BNP-led administration.
According to them, syndicate members use the secretary to prevent officials outside their preferred circle from joining as project directors by raising various allegations against them. They allege that the two joint secretaries are the latest victims of this practice.
An additional secretary, a joint secretary and a deputy secretary who have been working at the ministry for nearly half a decade are alleged to play key roles in this circle.
On 9 September, Mazedur Rahman, director (joint secretary) of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, was appointed project director of the “Construction of Multipurpose Cyclone Shelters in Coastal Cyclone-Prone Areas (Phase III)” project under the ministry. After being released from his previous workplace, he submitted his joining letter to the ministry on 16 September.
Similarly, on 15 September, Shamsun Nahar Sumi, a joint secretary at the Ministry of Social Welfare, was appointed project director of the “Procurement of Equipment for Search and Rescue Operations and Emergency Communication during Earthquakes and Other Disasters (Phase III)” project. She was released from her previous workplace and submitted her joining letter to the ministry on 24 September.
However, on 28 September, Jahangir Alam, the ministry’s deputy secretary (administration), informed the Ministry of Public Administration in separate letters that the two officials’ joining letters could not be accepted for “administrative reasons”.
This created an administrative deadlock over their appointments, as the Ministry of Public Administration has not issued any fresh order withdrawing or amending their posting orders.
When approached for comment, the offices of the minister, state minister and secretary referred TIMES to one another.
Speaking to TIMES on Wednesday, Mohammad Akhnur Rahman, additional secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration and APD (Appointment, Promotion and Deputation Branch), said, “No new decision has yet been taken regarding the postings of the two officials.”
Secretary Saiful Islam declined to comment when approached at his office.
His private secretary, Deputy Secretary Abdul Halim, told TIMES on his behalf, “Sir will not speak on this matter. It will be resolved by the office of Additional Secretary Shafiqul Haider. Please contact him.”
However, Shafiqul Haider said, “The minister, state minister and secretary are aware of the joining of the two officials. I have nothing to do with this matter.”
A long-standing circle of officials within the ministry
An investigation over the past few days has identified an influential circle centred on Additional Secretary Shafiqul Haider, Joint Secretary Abu Daud Mohammad Golam Mostafa and Deputy Secretary (Administration) Jahangir Alam.
During the Awami League’s second term in power, Jahangir Alam served as upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Santhia, the electoral constituency of former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku. His close association with Tuku is widely known among officials at the Secretariat.
All three officials have been working at the ministry for nearly half a decade. They have allegedly exercised influence over important projects and administrative activities since the Awami League government’s tenure.
According to allegations, when an official outside this circle seeks to join the ministry as a project director, various accusations, including alleged incompetence and irregularities, are raised against them to obstruct the joining process. There are also allegations of close ties between officials in the circle and project directors appointed during the Awami League government’s tenure.
The same tactics have allegedly been used to prevent the two joint secretaries from joining their new posts.
However, Additional Secretary Shafiqul Haider and Deputy Secretary Jahangir Alam have denied the existence of any syndicate at the ministry and their involvement in one.
Several ministry sources said the minister and state minister had instructed the secretary three times during the week to arrange for the two officials to join. Most recently, they issued strict instructions last Thursday, but these have yet to be implemented. The secretary has reportedly insisted that a fresh letter from the Ministry of Public Administration is required.
Attempts to contact Minister Dulu for comment were unsuccessful, as he declined to speak.
When contacted several times for the minister’s comments, Public Relations Officer Mahbubur Rahman said last Tuesday, “Sir will not speak on this matter.”
Despite repeated attempts to obtain comments from State Minister M Iqbal Hossain at his office, his assistant private secretary, Jewel Rana, said the state minister would not comment and suggested contacting the minister instead.
According to two ministry secretaries, there is no acceptable administrative justification for preventing the two officials from joining.
They said that if the ministry withdrew its 28 September letter to the Ministry of Public Administration, stating that the joining letters could not be accepted, and sent a fresh communication, there would be no further obstacle to the officials joining.
They added that, given the complications surrounding the matter, the Ministry of Public Administration could issue special instructions if it wished. However, no fresh posting order was required from the ministry.
Shamsun Nahar Sumi, the appointed project director of the earthquake project, said, “The Ministry of Public Administration appointed me as PD on 15 September. But I have still not been able to join. I hope I will be able to join.”
Mazedur Rahman, project director of the cyclone shelter construction project, said, “We now have no office. We are not even receiving salaries. It is distressing and humiliating.”
