Administrative service association protests Jamaat leader Shahjahan Chowdhury’s remarks

The Bangladesh Administrative Service Association (BASA) has protested comments made by Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shahjahan Chowdhury.

The Jamaat leader recently said, “In each constituency, the administration must be brought under our control. They must act at our command, file cases and make arrests. Police must follow you. The officer-in-charge (OC) of the police station, upon knowing your schedule in the morning, must provide you with protocol.”

The association issued its protest in a statement on Thursday. The statement, however, was circulated to the media today, Friday.

Condemning the Jamaat leader’s remarks in strong terms, the association said, “We urge everyone to refrain from making such irresponsible comments in the future.”

Reaffirming that officers and employees of the republic constitute a professional, neutral and ethical civil service, the statement noted, “Our duty is to implement state policies, discharge lawful responsibilities and ensure equal opportunity, security and neutrality in any election.”

The statement also emphasised that civil servants are not affiliated with any political party, ideology or group.

Pledging the highest level of professionalism, neutrality and competence in the upcoming national election, the administrative service association said, “This is the foundation of our identity and the core element of our professional ethics.”