Abdullah Asif, former president of Dhanmondi Thana Chhatra League, was appointed as ‘Assistant Secretary’ of Dhaka South City Corporation in November 2022. After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, he went into hiding.
At least 200 people like Abdullah have been employed in various positions in South City Corporation according to party considerations. They have been appointed between June 2020 and July 2024. Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas was the mayor of Dhaka South City at that time. He was elected mayor in February 2020, taking office in May of that year. He left the country secretly two days before the fall of the Awami League government on August 5. Now he is staying in Singapore according to various sources.
Nepotism, favored people and people with party identity have been appointed in various places including city corporation due to not talking about irregularities for a long time and no one to stop them.
M Hafizuddin Khan, President, Citizens for Good Governance (Sujan)
The office of the secretary looks after the recruitment to various posts in the South City Corporation. According to several sources of this office, 813 people were appointed permanently in various positions of officials and employees during the tenure of Tapas Mayor. Another 296 were appointed on temporary basis. Party identity was key in recruitment.
A former student of Dhaka University (who did not want to be named) stood second in the written test during the appointment to the post of ‘Assistant Secretary’ in 2022. He told Prothom Alo on Friday that four of them took the oral exam for the post of ‘Assistant Secretary’ (first class official) of the City Corporation. In the oral examination, former mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas and other officials of the board tried to harass him in various ways by asking irrelevant questions. Then he realizes that he will not have a job. He said, Abdullah Asif, the former president of Dhanmondi Thana Chhatra League, came third in the written test. Later he got a job.
The former student of Dhaka University passed the BCS examination and later got a non-cadre job.
There was a list of preferred candidates
Prothom Alo talked to three officials involved in recruitment tests for various positions in Dhaka South City during the tenure of Tapas Mayor in the first week of this September. On the condition of anonymity, they said that almost all of those who were appointed for political reasons were “routinely” passed the written test. They did not want to say anything more.
According to several sources in charge of the South City, Tapas himself used to finalize which positions would be taken in various important appointments during his tenure as mayor. Then he used to give the list of his preferred candidates to Akramuzzaman, Secretary of the City Corporation. He used to arrange the appointment accordingly. He also used to look at various recruitment exam papers. According to the former mayor, he supervised the whole matter of appointment.
In the oral examination, former mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas and other officials of the board tried to harass him in various ways by asking irrelevant questions. Then he realizes that he will not have a job. He said, Abdullah Asif, the former president of Dhanmondi Thana Chhatra League, came third in the written test. Later he got a job.
Akramuzzaman was posted as Secretary of South City Corporation after Tapas took over as Mayor. After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, he stopped coming to Nagar Bhaban. After the interim government took over, he was transferred to the Bangladesh Handloom Board.
Prothom Alo has been trying to contact Akramuzzaman over the phone for several days to find out about the allegations of irregularities in various appointments of the City Corporation. But his mobile phone was found switched off. Later a small message was sent to his WhatsApp number. But he did not reply.
Mizanur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka South City told Prothom Alo that if there is any complaint regarding party consideration and irregular recruitment, it will be investigated.
Tapas people in ‘profitable positions’
The post of ‘Beneficiary Officer’ of Revenue Department of Dhaka South City Corporation is the post of first class officer. Former mayor Tapas has appointed nine people in the last four years. Seven of them were associated with Chhatra League politics.
Talking to the revenue department officials of South City, it is said that the post of ‘beneficial officer’ is considered to be a very lucrative post. They work to determine the tax of houses, establishments and institutions under the jurisdiction of the City Corporation. While doing the work, there are opportunities to take various benefits.
According to several sources in charge of the South City, Tapas himself used to finalize which positions would be taken in various important appointments during his tenure as mayor. Then he used to give the list of his preferred candidates to Akramuzzaman, Secretary of the City Corporation. He used to arrange the appointment accordingly.
Several officials of the revenue department said that Munshi Ghiyas Uddin, who was appointed as a ‘beneficial officer’, was involved in the politics of the Dhaka College Chhatra League. He was a general secretary candidate of college branch Chhatra League. His house is in Gopalganj. Geas worked for Tapas during the last mayoral election. He was later appointed to this post as a ‘reward’. Similarly, Sadia Sarwar Ali, daughter of a leader of Ward No. 16 of South City Awami League, Rafiqul Islam, former leader of Chhatra League branch of Government Teachers Training College of Newmarket area, has also been given the job. Apart from this, former mayor Tapas is close to the family of Syed Sadman, who got a job as a ‘beneficiary officer’. Tasim Hasan, son-in-law of Jahangir Alam, councilor of ward number 29 of Dhaka South City, has also been made a cess officer.
South City Corporation also has the post of Assistant Health Officer among Class I Officers. Tapas has appointed four people in this position. Among them, Shihab Uddin is the former vice president of Kalabagan Thana Chhatra League.
Several officials of the revenue department said that Munshi Ghiyas Uddin, who was appointed as a ‘beneficial officer’, was involved in the politics of the Dhaka College Chhatra League. He was a general secretary candidate of college branch Chhatra League. His house is in Gopalganj.
Recruitment on party basis
Several senior officials of the South City Revenue Department said that 104 people have been appointed in the last 4 years due to political considerations in this department. Many of them were directly associated with BCL politics. Although some are not involved in active politics themselves, the family is associated with Awami League politics.
Sources in the Corporation say that most of those who were appointed on party considerations, used to influence the revenue department with the identity of Mayor Tapas. After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, some of them are not coming to office. Many have become ‘silent’.
Tapas appointed 31 people as cleanliness inspectors after taking over as mayor. Five of them are former leaders of the Chhatra League. Responsible sources of the City Corporation have confirmed that others got jobs at the lobbying of Awami League leaders at various levels.
A cleaning inspector supervises the work of cleaners in a ward. Saddam Hussain, the former leader of the Newmarket Police Station Chhatra League, has been given a job in this position. Khalilur Rahman, the former leader of the Dhaka College Branch Chhatra League, also got a job as a cleanliness inspector. Another inspector Russell Howlader’s father is the leader of Elephant Road Unit Awami League.
There should be an investigation into the manner in which the appointments have been made in Dhaka South City in the last four and a half years. It is unfair to appoint only on party considerations. These appointments should be investigated. Exemplary action should be taken if there is evidence of irregularities.
Sujan President M. Hafizuddin Khan
Former General Secretary of Hatirjheel Thana Chhatra League Nadeem Shikder has also got a job in South City Corporation. He is now working as a Personal Assistant (PA) to an officer. However, he is not coming to the city hall after August 5. Apart from this, 26 people on the post of Revenue Supervisor, 7 people on the post of License Supervisor, 7 people on the post of Rent Assistant, 25 people on the post of Office Assistant cum Computer Numerologist, 22 people on the post of Accounts Assistant – these 87 posts have been appointed on full party basis. The officials of the mayor’s office of the city corporation said that the appointment of these positions was done on the basis of party considerations during all the previous mayors.
Tamjid Rahman, the former organizing secretary of Jubo League, Ward No. 15 of Dhaka South City, has been given the job of ‘personal assistant’ by Tapas. He is the cousin of Tapas Assistant Private Secretary Nashirul Hasan. Tapas was a Member of Parliament before taking over as Mayor. At that time he was working as a computer operator in his personal office. Afzal. After Tapas became mayor, Afzal was hired as a computer operator in the mayor’s office in South City.
Apart from this, among the employees appointed as ‘Rent Assistant’, Saiful Islam was once in the committee of Dhanmondi Thana Chhatra League. Shrabni Akhtar, who was appointed to the same post, is the wife of a former leader of the Chhatra League.
A cleaning inspector supervises the work of cleaners in a ward. Saddam Hussain, the former leader of the Newmarket Police Station Chhatra League, has been given a job in this position. Khalilur Rahman, the former leader of the Dhaka College Branch Chhatra League, also got a job as a cleanliness inspector.
Illustrative measures are needed
M Hafizuddin Khan, president of Citizens for Good Governance (SUJAN), feels that nepotism, favored people and people with party identities have been appointed in various places, including the City Corporation, as there is no one to speak about the irregularities for a long time and there is no one to stop them. He told Prothom Alo that there should be an investigation into the way in which the appointments have been made in the last four and a half years in Dhaka South City. It is unfair to appoint only on party considerations. These appointments should be investigated. Exemplary action should be taken if there is evidence of irregularities.