Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project: 18 officials, employees dismissed
Eighteen officials and employees of the under-construction Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) project in Pabna’s Ishwardi upazila were dismissed from their jobs and banned from entering the project area.
These staff were employed at the Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL).
The separate letters signed by NPCBL managing director Md Zahedul Hassan were issued on dismissal and ban on Thursday, while the officials and employees concerned received the letters on Saturday.
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project’s site in-charge Ruhul Kuddus confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.
He said the issue was reported to the head of the project’s security agency, and declined to disclose further.
The dismissal letters stated that the NPCBL no longer requires their services. They were relieved of their duties from 8 May. All of them, however, will receive the salary of three months as notice payment.
The letter on the ban on entry to the project area said, “The 18 officials and employees are prohibited from entering the area of the under-construction Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project and the residential area Green City for security reasons.”
They officials, who were dismissed are NPCBL’s deputy chief superintendent Md Hasan Ali, senior assistant managers Shahidul Islam, Abu Rayhan, Rafiqul Hasan, Joynal Hossain, Naeem Al Sakib, Abu Sayeed, AKM Abdullah Al Amin, Shah Ikhtiar Alam and Ibrahim Khalilullah, assistant managers Abdullah Al Noman, Asif Khan, Mohammad Imamul Arefin and Md Ikram, Md Ruhul Amin, sub-assistant managers Ismail Hossain and Rubel Hossain, and technician Firoz Ahmed.
The sacked officials claimed all of 18 are competent for jobs and 12 of them graduated from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).
They further said all of them received various training in Russia for the nuclear power plant project. They were dismissed illegally because of protesting the arbitrary conduct of the company’s managing director. They demand restoration of their jobs or else they would seek legal action.
A dismissed engineer told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that any employee who raises demands is suppressed. Efforts were carried out to silence them and those who protested were selectively terminated. All of them were asked to leave the project’s residential area with their families within three days, putting them in severe problem.
When asked, NPCBL’s managing director Md Zahedul Hassan said that the decision on dismissal was made after investigating the matters thoroughly and following due process. These steps were taken for the sake of the company’s discipline and security.
Recently, NPCBL officers and employees had gone on protests for several days, pressing various demands, including the removal of managing director Zahedul Hassan. They held a human chain and press conference in Ishwardi town on 6 May 6 and organised a sit-in and protest at the project site on 7 May.