Promotions in railway: Can minister issue DO letter?

When a minister, as the head of a ministry, recommends for promotion or posting of an official, not only is nepotism found, but competent officers are deprived. Recently, a demi-official (DO) letter issued by railway minister Nurul Islam raised questions.

According to a Prothom Alo report, the incumbent director general of Bangladesh Railway will go on retirement on 11 December. As per rules, an official holding the rank of second grade officer is supposed to be the next director general. Yet, railway minister plans to give the responsibility to the official of his likings, Md Monjur-Ul-Alam Chowdhury, despite two officials holding the rank of second grade. The minister even sent a DO letter to state minister for public administration for the promotion of that official.

Railway officials called the ministry’s DO letter recommending the promotion of the official of his likings as an unprecedented move. This is not only unethical but also a violation of the government service rules. There are many instances of ministry issuing DO letter in the past and those letters were issued for officials from other ministries. Here, the minister wants an official be appointed as the director general for his own ministry. In the case, the minister violates his oath that he will not be motivated by anger and affection in discharging his duty.

The minister recommended in the DO letter saying, the father-in-law of Md Monjur-Ul-Alam Chowdhury, late Abu Solaiman, was involved in politics with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Md Monjur-Ul-Alam Chowdhury installed a monument in Syedpur in memory of the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War without spending the fund of the railway. The minister called the meeting of the superior selection board (SSB) and sought intervention for the promotion of this official.

One cannot be the director general just because they are from the minister’s area or the in-law of a person did politics with Bangabandhu. Competency should be the standard for the recruitment and promotion in railway’s director general and other posts. Nothing else should be considered. In addition, what I more concerning is that the minister issues a DO letter favouring a person who faces allegation of corruption. According to railway sources, the railway ministry sent a proposal recommending promotion for six officials including Md Hasan Mansur and Md Monjur-Ul-Alam Chowdhury to the public administration ministry in 2020. Four officials were promoted at that time and Md Hasan Mansur and Md Monjur-Ul-Alam Chowdhury were not promoted as they lacked two years of job experience on third grade. The proposal was sent to the prime minister’s office for exemption of the requirement of job experience at the consent of the president. But the prime minister’s officer sent back the proposal asking what measures have been takes over the allegation of corruption in procuring 20 train engines against Hasan Mansur and the allegation of corruption in procuring protective equipment during coronavirus pandemic against Md Monjur-Ul-Alam Chowdhury. Since then, there promotion remains halted.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) executive director Iftekharuzzaman spoke the truth when he said that the minister is trying to influence the normal process by sending letter for the promotion of a subordinate officials to another ministry. The excuse that the ministry showed is also unacceptable. Though the probe committee did not hold the minster accountable on any specific ground, it requested him to be more responsible. That means this official lacks responsibility in his professional duty. If an official of third grade is appointed for the post of the director general sidestepping the officials who are already promoted to the second grade, the situation of the fragile railway will simply worsen.