Punished for Facebook comment: No promotion for Sarwoer Alam in next 1 year

Public Administration Ministry has reprimanded well-known former Rab Magistrate Sarwoer Alam over a Facebook comment he had made after being deprived of promotion to the post of deputy secretary.

The ministry issued a notification regarding the punishment on April 21.

Sarwoer Alam, now a senior assistant secretary at the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment, is an officer of the 27th BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) administration cadre. 

In March last year, government promoted 337 officials, mostly belonging to the 27th batch of BCS, to the rank of deputy secretary from senior assistant secretary.

Quoting officials, media then reported at least 209 officers from the BCS batch got promoted, but Sarwoer was not among those promoted.

The notification regarding Sarwoer's punishment said, "On March 8 last year Sarwoer Alam commented using his Facebook ID that most of the officers and employees who fought against injustice and irregularities have been deprived and oppressed in their careers and it's a mistake to take a stand against injustice in this country."

As a government employee, he has acted inappropriately by making such a remark against the government and the authorities which tarnished the image of public administration, reads the order, a copy of which this newspaper has obtained.

A departmental case was filed against him for misconduct as per government employee (discipline and appeal) rules, the matter was investigated, and it has been proven that Sarwoer Alam had made such comment. As punishment, Sarwoer will not be promoted in next one year.

Despite repeated attempts, he could not be reached for comment.

Sarwoer Alam joined government service in 2008 as assistant commissioner. He was promoted to Senior Assistant Secretary in 2014.

When he served as an executive magistrate in Rapid Action Battalion, he garnered praise several times for his various brave operations against food and medicine adulteration and anti-casino drives. He also led an operation at the residence of Dhaka-7 lawmaker and Awami League leader Haji Md Salim after a case was filed against his son Erfan Salim on charge of "attacking" Lt Wasif Ahmed Khan of Bangladesh Navy in Dhanmondi area of Dhaka on October 25, 2020.