Foreign tour just before retirement

Only 11 days before his retirement, an office superintendent of Chittagong Port Authority is going on an eight-day tour today to China and South Korea to gather experience.

Mohammad Momtaz Uddin, also president of Chattagram Bandar Karmachari Parisad (CBA), will go into his retirement since December 13 and this tour will leave him only with four days to serve the port authorities, said Chittagong port sources.

Inclusion of Momtaz in the tour has generated criticism among the port officials and staffs as the tour is usually organised for those who would be able to apply their experience to enrich the Chittagong port, they added.

AKM Alauddin, a former senior outdoor assistant of CPA Traffic department, alleged that he was denied the opportunity to go on a similar tour in February 2012 although he had four months in hand before his retirement.

"The then shipping secretary told me that one requires to have at least six months before his tenure ends to go on a foreign tour," said Alauddin who was also the then executive president of CBA.

CPA Chairman Rear Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed and CPA Member (Admin) Nazrul Islam could not be contacted over the phone even after repeated attempts.

Momtaz said though he was going to retire in December he could be able to contribute his experience to the port since as a CBA President he would still be a member of the Chittagong Port Advisory Committee.

CPA Director (Admin) Jafar Alam said usually they did not allow anyone having less than six months before his retirement age if the tour was for training purposes.

"Since this is mere a foreign visit and not for the purpose of training, the rule does not apply," he said.

Apart from Momtaz, two officers and three staffs of CPA, and another official from the shipping ministry will go on the tour of Tianjin Port in China and Busan Port in South Korea.

The CPA officers are Director (Traffic) Golam Sarwar and Chief Personal Officer Mohammad Omar Faruk while the staffs are Audit Assistant Mohammad Liakat Ali and Senior Outdoor Assistant Md Mokarram Hossain. The shipping ministry officer is Nurul Islam.

The shipping ministry official was included in this tour as CPA Master Operator Golam Md Mohiuddin Dastagir, who had been selected for the tour earlier, expressed his unwillingness to join the tour.

All the expenses for the tour would be borne by the CPA, said sources adding that the six had already drawn Tk 19.5 lakh in advance for the tour.