BNP leaders join govt orgs without resigning from party positions

The government has appointed BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) Forest and Environment Affairs Secretary Mohammad Mossaddique Hossain Bulbul as chairman of the Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation (BFIDC). The appointment, made on 23 July, is for one year.

The appointment, made with the rank of an additional secretary (Grade 2), stipulated that the appointee must relinquish any involvement in another profession, business, or government, semi-government or private organisation or institution.

Bulbul has joined the BFIDC as its chairman but has not resigned from his position as BNP Forest and Environment Affairs Secretary.

In other words, he has not complied with the condition attached to his government appointment requiring him to relinquish his work-related association with any organisation.

In June and July, the government appointed 17 current and former leaders of the BNP and its affiliated organisations on a contractual basis to top positions at 11 important government agencies, boards and corporations and eight urban development authorities.

An investigation found that none of the party leaders had yet resigned from their positions within the party.

A reliable source at the BNP central office told Prothom Alo that none of them had submitted resignation letters to the central office. The party has also not relieved them of their responsibilities.

Asked about the matter, Mossaddique Hossain Bulbul told Prothom Alo over the phone that he had informed the office verbally that he would not remain in the party position.

BNP and its affiliated organisation leaders have been appointed to top positions at 11 government agencies and seven urban development authorities.

None of them has submitted a resignation letter to the central office, and the party has not relieved them of their responsibilities.

The position of head of a government agency is not an elected public office.

When asked about the condition that appointees must resign from their organisational positions, he said, “I have spent 18 years engaged in movements and struggles and have endured imprisonment. Can anyone repay that? Resigning from the party position is a matter of formality. It will happen.”

On 23 July, the Contract and Foreign Employment Branch of the Ministry of Public Administration issued separate gazettes appointing BNP leaders to top positions at 11 government agencies.

Each appointment carried the same condition: before joining, the appointee must relinquish any involvement in another profession or business, or with any government, semi-government or private institution or organisation.

Several leaders were contacted for comments on taking up government positions without resigning from their party posts. However, they did not respond to phone calls or text messages.

It was possible to speak to Shamsuzzaman, chairman of the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation.

When asked whether he had resigned from his party position, he told Prothom Alo that he was carrying out his duties in accordance with the decisions of both the government and the party, including every detail.

On 11 June, the government appointed chairmen to eight development authorities across the country: the Chattogram, Khulna, Sylhet, Rangpur, Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Cumilla and Cox’s Bazar development authorities.

Six of the eight chairmen are BNP leaders, while one is a former party leader.

Mohammad Jasim Uddin, chairman of the Cox’s Bazar Development Authority, is a retired official who previously worked for a government organisation. None of the other seven has so far resigned from their respective party positions.

SM Shafiqul Alam, chairman of the Khulna Development Authority, is president of the Khulna city BNP. His appointment gazette explicitly states that he must relinquish any work-related association with any other profession, business, or government, semi-government or private institution or organisation.

Rezaul Hasan Koyes Ludhi, chairman of the Sylhet Development Authority, is acting president of the Sylhet city BNP. Motahar Hossain Talukder, chairman of the Mymensingh Development Authority, is joint convener of the Mymensingh North District BNP.

Udbatul Bari Abu, chairman of the Cumilla Development Authority, is president of the Cumilla city BNP, while Mashukul Islam Rajib, chairman of the Narayanganj Development Authority, is joint convener of the district BNP. Samsuzzaman Samu, chairman of the Rangpur Development Authority, is convener of the Rangpur city BNP.

Belayet Hossain, chairman of the Chattogram Development Authority, is a former joint convener of the Chattogram North District BNP.

The appointment gazette for Mymensingh’s Motahar Hossain also includes a condition requiring him to relinquish any work-related association with an institution or organisation.

Similarly, Udbatul Bari’s appointment letter for the Cumilla Development Authority requires him to sever any work-related association with another profession, business, or government, semi-government or private institution or organisation.

In total, nine of the 11 agencies and six of the development authorities had at least 15 appointees who held current organisational positions within the party at the time of their appointments. Sources at the BNP central office said none of them had resigned.

Udbatul Bari Abu, chairman of the Cumilla Development Authority and president of the Cumilla city BNP, heard Prothom Alo’s question and said he was in a meeting. He said he would discuss the matter later.

The rules governing political activities by government employees contain even stricter provisions.

Rule 25 of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1979 prohibits government employees from becoming members of political parties, associating with political parties in any other manner, or participating in political activities.

Some BNP leaders believe that the term "organisation" does not refer to a political party. Therefore, they do not believe they need to resign from their party positions.

However, two ministers told Prothom Alo, on condition of anonymity, that a political party also constitutes an organisation. They said that if the appointees comply with the gazettes under which they were appointed, they must resign from the party.

When asked about the matter, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General and Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed told Prothom Alo, “If organisation refers to a political party, then the appointees will resign. I do not know the details of the entire matter.”

There are precedents of people retaining party positions while taking up posts at government agencies even during the Awami League government, which was ousted in the July mass uprising.

In June 2023, Azmat Ullah Khan, then president of the Gazipur city Awami League, was appointed chairman of the Gazipur Development Authority.

His appointment gazette also contained a condition requiring him to relinquish any work-related association with other institutions and organisations.

However, he continued to serve as president of the city Awami League after becoming chairman. The matter drew considerable criticism at the time.

Firoz Mia, an expert on the Government Service Act and a former joint secretary, told Prothom Alo, “The position of head of a government agency is not an elected public office. These are government positions. Those serving in these positions should relinquish their party posts.”