Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 11 Mon. June 07, 2004  
   
Front Page


Move to fire top officials stalled


An intervention by a section of ruling BNP policymakers has stalled the move to terminate several top bureaucrats and give punishment posting to many others, who had close links with the sacked acting secretary to the prime minister.

A government hand out yesterday ruled out the media reports on the sacking and punishment posting, claiming there are no plans except for routine transfers and changes.

Sources said the Ministry of Establishment on Saturday sent a proposal to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to cancel contractual appointments of two influential bureaucrats -- the director general of Bangladesh Institute of Administrative Management and secretary of the Planning Division, and force three acting secretaries of the ministries of establishment, information and primary and mass education into retirement.

A proposal was also there to make half a dozen officials officers on special duty (OSD).

The proposals followed hard on the heels of forced retirement of Acting Secretary to the Prime Minister AHM Nurul Islam on June 3.

Sources at the PMO and Bangladesh Secretariat said the officials were put on the firing list in line with the suggestions of some junior officials, including an assistant private secretary to the prime minister.

In the wake of mounting tension in the administration following Nurul Islam's forced retirement and the proposal to fire more, senior ministers and policymakers of the ruling party met Prime Minister Khaleda Zia individually and in groups in the last two days and advised her not to go for such an abrupt action without having specific evidence in hand.

They also told her that such termination of top officials without inquiry may rankle the administration and could prove suicidal in the long run, PMO sources said.

The policymakers also told the premier that officials in the administration might have ties with the sacked secretary but that does not necessarily mean that they all had been working against the government.

A cabinet minister, who met the PM, told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity yesterday that the PM was also against firing of officials without an investigation.