Five secys appointed on contract

Staff Correspondent

The interim government today (Saturday) appointed five secretaries to different ministries, divisions and the President's Office on a contract basis.

The government also scrapped the contractual appointments of several officials.

All the newly appointed secretaries are from the 1982 batch (regular) of the admin cadre, said sources in the public administration.

The Ministry of Public Administration issued circulars on these appointments.

Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen has been appointed secretary of the Public Security Division under the home ministry. Hours earlier, Md Mokabbir Hossain, who was appointed as the senior secretary of the division just three days ago, was transferred to the science and technology ministry.

The education ministry has now got Dr Abdur Rashid as its secretary.

The government has made Ehsanul Karim the secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division.

Ajmol Hossain Azad has been appointed as the secretary of the railways ministry.

Nasimul Gani has been given the responsibility of the President's Office (Public Division).

Meanwhile, the contractual appointment of Wahidul Islam Khan, secretary, (Public Division), President's Office, Bangabhaban has been terminated.

The directors general of the Bangla Academy and the Shilpakala Academy also lost their contractual appointments.

The government also scrapped the contractual appointments of at least four officials at the foreign ministry.

Public administration ministry sources said new Education Secretary Dr Rashid stood first in the 1982 Bangladesh Civil Service exams. A former additional home secretary, he had been on special duty (OSD), which is seen as a punishment, for nearly seven years. He had also faced a case, but the charges against him could not be proven and he learnt about his acquittal four years after his retirement.

New Public Security Secretary Dr Momen was reportedly sent on compulsory retirement on June 6, 2013, subject to completion of 25 years of service, while being OSD.

Nasimul, a former private secretary to former speaker and BNP leader Jamiruddin Sircar, was forced to retire on May 29, 2013. Before that, he had been OSD since the Awami League government came to power.

Newly appointed Railways Secretary Ehsanul was private secretary to Fakhruddin Ahmed, former chief adviser of the 2007-'08 caretaker government.