Wasa’s move to reappoint MD challenged at High Court
A writ petition was filed with the High Court yesterday challenging the legality of the process for further appointing Taqsem A Khan as the managing director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa).
Engineer Khandker Monjur Morshed, former additional chief engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board, submitted the petition where he also pleaded to stay the proposal for extending the tenure of the Wasa MD by three more years.
Citing the petition, Khandker Monjur's lawyer Tanvir Ahmed told The Daily Star that the Wasa's board meeting was supposed to be convened either by its chairman or vice-chairman to select its MD as per the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority Act, 1996.
But, the Wasa's board meeting was convened by its board secretary on September 17 to appoint the MD and the meeting was held on September 19 in violation of the relevant provisions of the law.
Besides, a selection committee is supposed to be formed for the appointment of the Wasa MD and a gazette notification must be issued for constituting the selection committee as per the relevant rules.
None of these procedures, however, was followed to appoint Taqsem as the Wasa MD for the next three years.
He also said his client in the writ petition also prayed to the HC to issue a rule asking the board secretary of Dhaka Wasa to explain under what authority he convened the board meeting on September 17.
The HC may hold a hearing on the writ petition next week, Tanvir added.
Dhaka Wasa board on September 19 approved a proposal to re-appoint its Managing Director Taqsem A Khan for three more years.
The Wasa board made the decision in its 97th special meeting held online.
The special meeting's topic of discussion was to send a proposal to the Local Government Division regarding the appointment of Taqsem as Wasa MD for the next three years, according to a notice issued by Wasa on Thursday.
Taqsem has reportedly been the MD for the last 11 years. He was appointed for five consecutive terms of varying lengths. His current term expires on October 14.
When he took charge of Dhaka Wasa in 2009, most parts of the capital got flooded after heavy rains. The situation remains the same to this day, a report published on The Daily Star on September 20 said.
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