Questions raised over foreign training just before retirement

The chief of the Department of Public Health Engineering, Md Sarwar Hossain, is going to receive capacity building training in the US less than a month ahead of his retirement.

Such a move has raised a question as to what will be the benefit of his training to the state.

A letter was sent to the US embassy from the foreign ministry on Sunday.

According to the letter, nine officials of the local government ministry will visit the US from 4 March to 8 March. They will attend a course titled 'Wash in health care facilities for senior officials' in Atlanta, USA.

The officials include local government ministry additional secretary Moloy Chowdhury, the prime minister office's director general Shaida Sultana, local government division joint secretary Emdadul Haque Chowdhury, public health engineering department chief engineer Md Sarwar Hossain and additional chief engineer Tushar Mohon Sadhu Khan.

Officials at the public health and engineering department, speaking to Prothom Alo, said their department has been planning to work on water, sanitation and wash at the medical establishment. This training will be useful for 'wash' in the health sector.

But the attendance to the course by the chief engineer ahead of his retirement is not logical, officials pointed out.

The government issues more than one circulars regarding the foreign trips of officials to decrease pressure on the foreign reserve.

According to a circular issued by the finance ministry in September 2022, foreign trips can be made on a limited scale to maintain the activities of capacity enhancement of the government officials.

Government officials will be able to attend foreign training at the invitation of the foreign government, organisation and development partners and financed by them.

An official at the public health and engineering department will also attend the training in the US.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, the official said UNICEF has been working with the public health engineering department for a long time. The engineering department will work on washing at the medical establishments. UNICEF arranged the training for the officials.

The public health and engineering department is an organisation of the water supplying wing under the local government division. Additional secretary Moloy Chowdhury, who will also visit the US, is at the water supply wing.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Moloy Chowdhury said he (Sarwar Hossain) is not going on a pleasure trip.

There is scope to utilise his experience even after his retirement, the additional secretary added.

Md Sarwar Hossain joined the public health and engineering department on 1 January 2023. According to the letter submitted to the US embassy, he was born on 7 April 1965. He will be 59 years on 7 April. Government officials retire at the age of 59. Accordingly, Sarwar Hossain is supposed to go on Post Retirement Leave (PRL).

Questions have been raised over the foreign trips of government officials. Former senior secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed went on retirement on 22 May 2022. Just a day after his retirement, he returned home after visiting the Netherlands and Spain. The entire expenditure of his 10-day visit was funded from three government projects.

Experts think the foreign trips of government officials just before retirement is a waste of money.

Former additional secretary Mohammad Firoz Mia, an expert on service rules and regulations, said it is not fair that officials, who will retire shortly, will attend foreign training.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print and online editions, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam