Health Services Division Senior Secretary MA Akmal Hossain Azad, also head of the single-member probe committee to investigate the reasons for untoward incident that took place on Tuesday at the Public Administration Ministry's APD wing, opined that the disorderliness from the officials who want to become deputy commissioner (DC) at Secretariat was not decent.
"There are around 1,000 deputy secretaries in the administration. From the huge number of officials, only 64 persons will get chance to become DC. The government has decided to change only 59 DCs keeping five others in their positions. It is a record that a DC was withdrawn in the second day of his appointment. The Public Administration Secretary has already cancelled appointment of some others also," he said at a press conference at his office on Wednesday afternoon.
He said, "It cannot be said as a pre-consent that all of them were the beneficiary of the dictatorial government. A high powered committee of secretaries was formed to scrutiny the list of DCs. They have examined them. All of the top scorers and best were nominated for the posts of DCs. But question has arisen that who are good and who are not. It is unfortunate."
"I have seen different news and felt that the incident was indecent. Those who have done it are deputy secretaries, senior officers, who want to become DCs and they were not selected despite having their names. If you think that you have become DC as your names are in the list, it is not correct. We were asked to select only 60 names from the long list. Those, who failed to become DC, were not demoted or lost their prestige. We have not disclosed the reasons for not selecting them. Though there is no scope of disclosing the reasons, they will be humiliated socially if we do," he stated, adding, "We cannot disclose the reasons due to the Official Secrecy Act. But, we do not use the word disqualified for those who cannot qualify for the post."
The Health Service Division Secretary said, "A DC of a district is a leader of a mini-Bangladesh. At present, he is the president of 120 committees. Everything is channelized though a DC. So, everything including experience, age and health matters are taken into consideration for selection as a DC. I am not the authority to file the departmental cases. I can only tell about the facts we get from the witnesses and evidence. We can only say who have done the offence or not."
