Sarwoer Alam punished over Facebook remark

Expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry senior assistant secretary Md Sarwoer Alam has been reprimanded as a minor punishment.

Public administration ministry additional secretary Farid Uddin Ahmad confirmed this to Prothom Alo.

However, Sarwoer Alam was not available for comment.

He was widely known while in the Rapid Action Battalion.

The public administration ministry has reprimanded him for 'misconduct' over his Facebook remark posted after failing to get promotion.

The ministry published a gazette notification in this regard several days ago. Sarwoer Alam is an admin cadre officer of 27th BCS.

Sources said senior assistant secretaries were promoted to deputy secretary in March 2021. But Sarwoer Alam was dropped.

According to the order of the punishment, on 8 March, Sarwoer Alam in his Facebook remarked, "It is injustice in this country to stand up against injustice. Most of the officials and employees who fought against injustice and irregularities were deprived of promotion and harassed in their service life."

Being a government official, he has committed misconduct by making such a remark against the authorities and the government.

In accordance with government servants (discipline and appeal) rules, a departmental case was filed against him for tainting the image of the public administration. Investigation was later carried out.

Referring to the investigation report, the order said Sarwoer Alam admitted that he made the remark on Facebook and the allegation of misconduct was proved beyond any doubt. He has been accordingly 'reprimanded' as for the minor crime.