Bangladesh News

Two caretaker government (CG) advisers yesterday said Monday’s establishment ministry circular ordering a probe into all political involvements by bureaucrats since 1996 does not correspond with the council of advisers’ decision to specifically investigate the bureaucrats’ ’secret meeting’ last Friday.

“This circular (from the establishment ministry) has not been issued in light of the council of advisers’ decision. There is no relationship between this circular and the decision given by the council of advisers,” Finance and Planning Adviser Akbar Ali Khan told the reporters at his secretariat office.

“The council of advisers will only consider the report of the probe committee findings if they had worked along the lines of our (council of advisers) directives, otherwise their probe report will not be considered and the council of advisers will then mull over the issue again,” Akbar added.

On Monday, an information ministry handout informed that the council of advisers decided to form a probe committee to identify and reprimand the 30-35 serving bureaucrats who participated in a meeting at former energy adviser Mahmudur Rahman’s office on Friday.

The probe committee was instructed to report on its findings within seven days, the handout stated.

The handout also said the establishment secretary was ordered to issue a circular in light of the council of advisers’ decision at the meeting.

Meanwhile, an establishment ministry circular, also issued on Monday, stated that under presidential directives, a three-member probe committee will not only investigate the Friday night’s meeting, but also bureaucrats’ involvement in the 1996 ‘Janatar Mancha’ and another meeting between a political party and bureaucrats in 2001.

In addition, the circular also directed the committee to list the name of all bureaucrats who have frequented the BNP chairperson’s office, Hawa Bhaban, and the Awami League president’s residence, Sudha Sadan, as well as other political party offices.

After repeated attempts by reporters, the establishment secretary yesterday declined to comment on why the establishment ministry circular does not correspondent with the council of advisers’ decision.

Akbar only said, “We are not sure whether the establishment ministry circular was ordered before or after our decision.”

Referring to Friday’s ’secret meeting’, Akbar added, “It is not acceptable that the public servants will run away in the dark of the night after turning off the lights or hide their faces from the public.”

Energy Adviser Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury also told reporters, “The council of advisers only discussed probing the Friday night’s meeting involving serving bureaucrats in Uttara, we did not discuss the Panda Garden or the Janatar Mancha incident.”

He also expressed his dismay that these issues were included in the establishment ministry’s orders for the probe committee.

Meanwhile, sources said, the establishment ministry’s move to include previous bureaucrats’ involvement in 1996 and 2001 was to cover-up the participation of serving bureaucrats’ meeting with former energy adviser Mahmudur Rahman last Friday.

In 2002, the then BNP government had already launched an investigation against serving bureaucrats’ involvement with the 1996 ‘Janatar Mancha’ and the High Court stayed the case the same year.

Whereas, the 2001 meeting held at Panda Garden did involve not only serving bureaucrats, but also artists, writers and journalists.