RCC administrator not granted approval for France visit, engineer may go: PM

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has rejected the proposal for a visit to France by Rajshahi City Corporation Administrator Mofazzal Hossain. He said that foreign visits were not important for officials not directly involved in acquiring technical knowledge. In such cases, relevant engineers may go instead of administrators.

According to sources in the Local Government Division, an invitation from Signify Bangladesh Limited had been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office for the administrator of Rajshahi City Corporation, Mofazzal Hossain and Executive Engineer (Electricity) A.B.M. Asaduzzaman Sweet to visit France. The visit was planned to inspect Signify France’s Outdoor Lighting Application Centre (ALAC) and to gain knowledge about new energy-efficient street lighting technology.

The Prime Minister issued his directive on Monday regarding the proposal. When asked about the matter, the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibli confirmed it to Prothom Alo.

Regarding the proposal sent for learning about new energy-efficient street lighting technology, the Prime Minister made it clear that in the case of such visits, if necessary, relevant engineers may go, not administrators.

In the note on the proposal, the Prime Minister wrote that if an engineer gains knowledge in this area, it will be useful for Rajshahi City Corporation. Since the administrator of Rajshahi City Corporation is not an engineer, his visit carries no significance. Only the proposed Executive Engineer (Electricity) may go if necessary. It is noted that in future, collaboration with BUET and other engineering universities should be taken for such innovative work.

Earlier, the Prime Minister similarly did not approve a proposal for a visit to the United States by five officials, including Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Shahadat Hossain, to observe innovative mosquito control activities.
The Prime Minister had commented, "There is no need to go to Florida in the United States to learn or observe mosquito control. It is possible to develop innovative methods simply by sitting by any pond after evening in our own country.

Other than foreign travel, the Prime Minister has also taken a different stance regarding renaming government institutions. A source from the Prime Minister’s Office said that before Eid-ul-Azha, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare had sent a proposal to rename the Keraniganj Technical Training Centre after former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. However, that proposal was not approved. Instead, the Prime Minister instructed that rather than renaming existing institutions, new institutions should be established and named accordingly.

Government sources note that these recent decisions highlight two things. First, the Prime Minister prioritises necessity and professional relevance in foreign travel approvals. Second, he supports encouraging a culture of creating new institutions rather than renaming existing state institutions for political considerations.