Sylhet DC yet to join 9 days after appointment notification

Md Reza Hasan has yet to assume office as Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Sylhet, despite nine days having passed since the government issued a notification appointing him to the post. The local administration has also been unable to explain why he has not yet taken up his new assignment.

Contacted on Monday at around 5:30 pm, Sylhet's acting deputy commissioner, Pinky Saha, told Prothom Alo, "Only the Ministry of Public Administration can explain this (regarding joining the DC). We have no information on the matter."

However, a local political source aligned with the ruling party in Sylhet said the appointment of Md Reza Hasan as the district's new DC was not favoured by a local minister, who had conveyed his reservations to officials at the Ministry of Public Administration.

According to the source, the government may now issue a fresh notification appointing a different deputy commissioner for Sylhet.

Earlier, on 21 June, the Ministry of Public Administration withdrew the then Sylhet Deputy Commissioner, Sarwar Alam, and attached him to the ministry as a deputy secretary. The notification, however, neither stated the reason for his removal nor identified his successor.

A week later, on 28 June, the ministry issued another notification appointing Md Reza Hasan, then serving as deputy commissioner of Cumilla, as the new deputy commissioner of Sylhet. Although he relinquished his duties in Cumilla following the appointment, he has yet to report for duty in Sylhet.

Meanwhile, administrative and political sources said Sarwar Alam had drawn considerable public attention during his tenure in Sylhet. Recently, some of his initiatives concerning the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) and Hazrat Shah Paran (RA) became the subject of both praise and criticism.

According to the same sources, Sarwar Alam visited the two shrines on 12 June and announced measures aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the management of their income and expenditure. As part of that initiative, the existing donation box at the shrine was sealed on 18 June and replaced with a new one. The three historic donation cauldrons, traditionally used by devotees to deposit offerings, were also sealed.

The move triggered widespread public debate. While some welcomed the initiative as a positive step towards greater financial accountability, others criticised the administration's involvement in managing the shrine's donation system.

Amid the controversy, the government withdrew Sarwar Alam from his post, although several government ministers later described the transfer as a "routine administrative matter."