‘We are servants of the state, not bureaucracy’

Engineers today protested the directive of public administration ministry -- empowering Deputy Commissioners to oversee development projects at the district level.

They said they will not follow the directive and demanded it be withdrawn immediately.

Around 800 engineers made the demand at a human chain organised in front the Institution of Engineers in Dhaka.

On January 18, the Public Administration Ministry issued directives asking the DCs to open a wing under an additional deputy commissioner for monitoring and evaluating the projects, and send reports to Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) under the Planning Ministry.

Speaking at the human chain, IEB Services and Welfare Committee's Chairman SM Monjurul Haque Monju said the directives are illogical and an obstacle to development projects.

He termed the human chain as an "initial message against the harassment from bureaucracy".

"We are servants of the state, not of bureaucracy," he said.

He said engineers are the main implementers of the country's development works -- doing their job successfully.

"If the DCs, ADCs have the required technical qualifications, we have nothing to say. But they don't," he said.

"There is still a process of evaluating and monitoring the project work under the planning ministry. Engineers are accountable to the ministry's IMED," said IEB Honorary General Secretary Md. Shahadat Hossain.

"Please do your duty properly. One of your main duties is land acquisition. Many projects get stalled as land acquisition is not done in time," he said, referring to bureaucrats, adding, "We have no conflict with you."

Members of Public Works Engineers Association, Roads and Highways Engineers Association, Public Health Engineers Association, LGED Engineers Association, Water Power Engineers Association and Railway Engineers Association expressed their solidarity with the protest.