Secy goes on official foreign trip days ahead of retirement

Allegations have surfaced against Social Welfare Secretary Md Mohiuddin of violating instructions from the Chief Adviser's Office by undertaking a foreign trip for what has been described as an "insignificant" event just days before his retirement.

Mohiuddin is scheduled to return on August 3, a day before his last working day and him going on post retirement leave (PRL). Several senior officials at the ministry confirmed to The Daily Star that Mohiuddin left for the US on the morning of July 26 on a Qatar Airways flight.

He is leading a five-member team to a programme titled "Social Protection and Labor Knowledge Exchange Event". According to a ministry notification, the travel expenses would be borne by the World Bank.

The delegation also includes Additional Secretary Nargis Khanom, Director General of the Department of Social Services (DSS) Md Saidur Rahman Khan, Joint Secretary Mohammad Nazmul Ahsan, and DSS's ISO Project Director Golam Mostofa.

After the interim government led by Prof Muhammad Yunus took office, the Chief Adviser's Office issued a directive in December, restricting foreign trips by government officers. It stated: "Secretaries of ministries and heads of subordinate departments or agencies shall not travel abroad together unless it is absolutely necessary in the national interest."

Despite this, Mohiuddin was accompanied by the director general of DSS, an agency under his ministry.

While no officials have publicly criticised the trip, several expressed surprise over its timing. One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "The secretaries of the current government are acting just like those of the previous one. In some cases, they are violating the rules even more blatantly."

Contacted, Mohiuddin's Private Secretary Mahbubul Alam declined to comment.

Another official said, "For events like exchange of views, which are not of critical importance, it would have been more meaningful to send mid-level officers, such as senior assistant secretaries or deputy secretaries. They could gain new experience, which would be useful in their careers. But in this case, several additional secretaries and joint secretaries accompanied the secretary, which is unexpected."

A recently retired secretary told The Daily Star that Mohiuddin's trip during his final week in office "seems excessive".

"When senior officials behave like this, it brings embarrassment to the entire administration. It is better not to undertake foreign trips at least two years prior to retirement," he said, requesting anonymity.

Former secretary and writer AKM Abdul Awal Mazumder echoed this view. "During my tenure as secretary, I voluntarily stopped going on foreign trips at least 53 months before retirement, even though I had around 10 opportunities during that time. We learned such values from our predecessors. That's why I used to encourage junior officials to go abroad instead, so that they could serve the country for a long time by using that experience."

Awal, however, said Mohiuddin should not be held solely responsible. "For a secretary to go on an official foreign trip, the approval of the head of government is required. So, the question is: why didn't the responsible officials at the Chief Adviser's Office catch this?"

However, Social Welfare Adviser Sharmeen S Murshid defended the secretary's foreign trip. Speaking to The Daily Star last night, she said that a relevant project has made progress through the secretary's involvement. "Which is why he was sent."

When reminded about the directive from the Chief Adviser's Office, the adviser said, "The secretary was sent considering the project's needs. It's not something that should be seen that way."