The anti-discrimination student movement said that Tk. 9 crore 91 lakh 51 thousand 213 collected in the public relief program for the flood victims at Dhaka University (DU) TSC has been saved in two bank accounts. Of this, Tk. 8 crore will be deposited in the Chief Adviser's Relief Fund. The rest of the money will be spent on people in the flood-hit districts of North Bengal.
Hasnat Abdullah, one of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, gave this information at a press conference at TSC on Tuesday (October 1).
বিজ্ঞাপন
Coordinator Hasnat Abdullah said that Tk. 8 crore of public relief will be deposited in the Chief Adviser's relief fund through the relief ministry. The remaining Tk. 1 crore 91 lakh rupees will be spent for the people in the flood affected districts of North Bengal. He also said that the relief program will start tomorrow.
Earlier, Auditor Golam Fazlul Kabir said that funds of Tk. 11 crore 69 lakh 84 thousand 420 were collected. Out of this cash comes to Tk. 9 crore 85 lakh 15 thousand 425. The rest of the money comes through mobile banking, prize bonds, dollars and other means.
Out of this Tk. 1 crore 78 lakh 33 thousand 207 has been spent. And currently there are Tk. 9 crore 91 lakh 51 thousand 213 taka in two accounts of the bank, he said.
He said that the audit work started from September 10 and ended on September 20. Only financial audits have been done during this period. Goods & Garments and noncash audit was not possible.
Mahfuz Alam is the Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser to the interim government after the student-led coup. After the coup, he was the coordinator of the Liaison Committee formed to maintain communication between students, citizens and the interim government. This law graduate of Dhaka University was in charge of political-intellectual collaborator in the movement. He is the organizer of a text cycle called 'Gurubar Adda' and the editor of Purvapaksha, Ranapa and Sineyog Patrika. In an interview given to Prothom Alo, Mahfuz Alam expressed his thoughts on the students' movement and social and political transformation. The interview has been published in full for Barta24.com readers:
Let's start with the movement. The students who led such a big movement, how did their front tie?
Mahfuz Alam: Before the 2018 elections, there were two big movements—safe roads and quota reforms. In both the movements, it was seen that a section of students and youths took to the streets to fill the political vacuum. In the 2018 elections, the people of the country, including the BNP, were cheated again like before. In the next two or three years, due to various crises, the students and youth could not stand up. The main crisis was the lack of political direction. The students and youths were divided into big spots in politics. They could not imagine anything beyond Awami League, BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and the weak stream of leftist politics.
It was clear to us that Awami League can never be defeated by sustaining the narrative created by Awami League of the pro and anti forces of liberation war. Awami League's inability to reconcile nationally after the Liberation War is a major failure. We find that Bangladesh is divided along ideological and cultural fault lines. Various players are playing a role on this dividing line. So we thought about how to erase this dividing line, how to resolve it. It hasn't been resolved in the last 50 years, but we've tried.
What did you try?
Mahfuz Alam: We did some readings and cultural programs. I did film activism under the banner of Jonaki Goli factory. Naseeruddin Patwari, the current convener of the civic committee, stayed at Raju Bhaskar for 54 consecutive days demanding an end to border-killing. We have published pamphlets and magazines in support of that position. Again, I proposed the eight pillars regarding the murder of Abrar Fahad of Buet. Their idea was how Bangladesh can become strong as a state without being merely anti-India.
We studied, various people took various initiatives. I saw, this is not happening. In the month of October 2021, we started a lesson called 'Gurubar Adda'. At first there were four of us including Nahid Islam. Later, three others including Abu Baker Majumdar joined.
Gurubar means we used to hang out on Thursdays. We used to think about various questions—state, society, philosophy, history and theology, which many ignore. As we have read the writings of Kamruddin Ahmed, we have also discussed the reality of Lenin's or Islamic state philosophy. Discussed Rabindranath, Vivekananda, Iqbal. Thus we have tried to reduce the gap between thought and cultural politics as much as possible. We were in various student movements. If there is a big movement, I have tried to give its theoretical basis.
The movement started with quota reform. At one stage it reached a point of resignation of Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister. The step by step movement that reached there, did he have a hidden goal in advance?
Mahfuz Alam: Our initial desire was to expand the student body across Bangladesh. If there is a quota reform movement on the campus, there will be an opportunity for student parliament elections in many universities. Some leadership can also be picked up. But the long-term goal was the fall of the government. We thought the student body would be stronger first. Then we will emerge politically. Cultural areas, factories, schools—we will be involved in all.
From June 5 to July 1, members of Chhatra Shakti organized the movement in Bangladesh. From July 1 to July 14 we did not get any political or even intellectual support in that sense. Everyone thought that there must be some tension in it. But day by day the strength of the movement in the campuses and in the urban areas was increasing due to the novel program. We were thinking whether it can be made into a big student-citizen movement or not. Our target was 2026, but if the opportunity arises why not now!
When did you think the opportunity came?
Mahfuz Alam: After announcing the Bangla blockade on 6 July. If you analyze the Bangla blockade program, you will see that there has been a lot of public involvement in it. We all wrote a concept paper of student power. In the beginning, we called this coup a student-citizen coup. At its core was the concept of student-civic solidarity of the student body. The Bangla Blockade program was arranged according to that solidarity plan. If you analyze the program, you will see that the students went to different places in Dhaka city. Citizens came and joined. But this has not been possible in the last 16 years.
When did you realize the common people's solidarity with you?
Mahfuz Alam: During the week following the Bangla blockade. In the previous 15 years, we have not been able to connect the political parties with people. I was able to get the public support of Dhaka city through the Bangla blockade. Those who could not protest for so long started protesting. The government is still could not directly interfere with the students. We took that opportunity. In the movement, the student organization members came out of their political identity and started joining us as coordinators and workers. We also wanted everyone to stay, mass movement. If this movement fails, how will the students survive! As a result, we were making the slogans through the movement. Our plan was to make the slogans acceptable at the national level. Otherwise, we will not be able to survive by doing politics in the future.
People from all walks of life—students, workers, hill women—were involved in the student movement. What did you learn from there?
Mahfuz Alam: I saw this mass uprising as a solution to many things. Settlement of cultural questions, settlement of ideological questions. The solutions may have been scattered in various directions, causing a big explosion. But the coup itself was a major compromise.
Let me ask the question differently. There are two sides to any revolution—one is the fall, the other is the foundation. The first one is achieved. What is the unwritten manifesto of the various desires of the citizens in this movement in the sense of foundation?
Mahfuz Alam: Many people want to see many things in the new Bangladesh. Young people primarily want representation. Not only in elections, but everywhere. They want independence. Democratic artists and writers want to speak. Day laborers want their daily wages. Hill communities also have their own aspirations. Although they did not come down in the beginning, the scholars came down later on. As a group they have been oppressed in the last 15 years. When the complete shutdown was going on in the movement, we saw a large section of the workers. They have been oppressed as a class for 15 years. Everyone was seeking release from a final deadlock. Otherwise, does anyone let the bullet in front of the chest to die?
The involvement of women in this movement was great. Now many people forget but it is true that without girls this movement would not have succeeded in any way. Despite the 10 percent quota, the girls came and said, we don't want a quota. Why? Because they felt self-respect. This fight was also about self-esteem. Sheikh Hasina broke the self-esteem of the country's immense people. The agitators who chanted themselves as 'Razakar', but it is because their sense of self-respect has been hurt by saying 'Razakar'. So you can see this movement as a restoration project of a sense of dignity and an expression of various class aspirations and representations.
There are rumors of a new political settlement. What kind of state do citizens want to see after the coup?
Mahfuz Alam: The state has one upper side and another lower side. Fixing the surface without fixing the sub-floor means putting a new sheet over the old dirt. People are not only asking for a change in power, but a change in power-structure. They want self-respect and equality. They want a solution to the politics of division on cultural and ideological grounds. It wants a space where everyone can speak; everyone's voice can be heard. They will enjoy basic human rights and civil rights without any ifs and buts. Ideological, political, cultural and economic - these four arrangements of the previous government should be thrown away completely and move towards a new arrangement.
You are saying that if the old system is retained and the elections are held, even if other parties come, they will take an undemocratic form. In this situation, what do you see the position of political parties?
Mahfuz Alam: BNP and Jamaat have suffered a lot of persecution in the last 15 years. It is natural that they will want to take power now. It is also natural that those who have made a mass uprising in the desire of new politics in Bangladesh will also want inter-party reforms. Some come and claim that they were the only ones in this movement. But no one was the only one. The movement was like a flowing river. Various currents have come and mixed in it. Now the streams of Jamuna and Meghna are getting separated. But there is a unity in this too. Political parties will want to maintain their old habits and culture. But our declared goal was to change the political culture and political leadership of Bangladesh, to increase the representation of youth in the parties. Young people don't want club politics which is common in Bangladesh. What they want is visionary politics. They are thinking about how to bring the larger population together in the political arena. If our well-wishers and comrades-in-arms form political parties, we can call on every political party, including them, to leave the mere competition for power and come up with the vision of state formation. It will not be done only by reforming the state. Reforms are also needed within the parties. The process of how political leadership is elected should be reformed. They also need economic reforms. Social pressure must be created for the purification of parties. So many people did not give their lives to sustain the old political culture and vices.
Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Principal Secretary and Adviser Kamal Abdun Nasser Chowdhury has been arrested.
Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB) arrested him from the capital on Tuesday (October 1) night.
DB Police arrested three more people on the same night. They are former sports secretary Mezbah, ex-chairman of Exim Bank Nazrul Islam Majumdar and Bashundhara Group coordinator Adnan.
DMP Media and Public Relations Department Deputy Commissioner (DC) Talebur Rahman confirmed the matter.
He said that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Principal secretary and adviser Kamal Nasser Chowdhury, former youth and sports secretary Mejbah Uddin Ahmed, ex-chairman of Exim Bank and BAB Nazrul Islam Majumder and Bashundhara Group coordinator Adnan have been arrested.
Each of those arrested has specific criminal charges and cases against them. Legal action is pending against them.
Anti-discrimination student movement won and new government was formed in the country. But discrimination is widespread in the country. There is an extremely unfair environment in the government offices. Sycophants have occupied important positions over the years and have rendered the entire system useless. Barta24.com will have a series of reports. In the first phase, there is the Directorate of Disaster Management. The disaster there is terrible. Discrimination and anarchy which have emerged in the report of staff correspondent Jahid Raqib.
Anti-discrimination movement has been going on in this directorate for two years. The deserving ones are not getting places, while most of the officers were disgraced by the brutality of a class of officials who were busy with pleasures during the dictatorial Sheikh Hasina government. There is arbitrariness going on. There are complaints that some officials are holding multiple posts in high positions. In this, many talented officers are not getting regular promotion. On the other hand, two to five types of work are being done by one person without hiring manpower for vacant posts. In this, they have to get speed to work in the emergency moment of disaster. An officer and an office assistant have been kept to run the activities of 495 upazilas of the country. There is no own vehicle for the relief operation.
Established in 1972, the only disaster management agency in disaster-prone Bangladesh is struggling due to lack of manpower. As compared to the proposed posts, 952 posts are vacant.
Bangladesh Upazila Project Implementation Officers Association observes a one-party strike to demand recruitment and promotion and manpower increase in the existing manpower structure. Almost two years have passed after raising the logical demand, but no visible initiative has been taken from the ministry.
It is known that, even now, there is an ongoing movement in the Directorate of Disaster Management regarding the elimination of various discriminations.
Ismail Hossain, coordinator of the anti-discrimination movement formed in the department seeking regular promotion, told Barta24.com, "The ministers and secretaries of the previous government have deprived us of regular promotion in the disaster department." That continuity is still going on in new Bangladesh. We want to arrange speedy promotion according to the rules of the directorate.'
He said, "We have suspended the movement due to humanitarian reasons. If the new government does not take any measures to meet the demands, we will announce the next program soon.'
Meanwhile, although there is a provision for appointing and promoting officers and employees of the Disaster Management Directorate according to the Recruitment Rules-1995, the authorities are not paying attention to anything. Irregularity has become the rule in this department for almost a century and a half. It is as if the keeper is playing the role of the eater here.
Apart from this there is the violence of the BCS administration cadre. Sources said that in the existing organizational structure, seven of the eight directorships are occupied by administrative cadre officers. But according to the rules, four people are supposed to be appointed through posting (BCS) and four through departmental promotion. Due to this disparity, those who could have worked in the directorate for a long time with experience and could have occupied higher positions are being deprived of opportunities.
Officials complained that the promotion process has been stopped to deprive departmental officers in a planned manner. Payment of salaries and allowances to officers posted on extra-ordinary postings. As a result, huge expenses are increasing in the management sector of the government.
Allegedly, former ministerial secretaries have embezzled thousands of crores of money from TR-Kabikha, HBB road, bridge and culvert construction projects in the last 15 years by appointing their own favorites.
There is discrimination in the post of deputy director like the post of director in the directorate. Of the 19 Deputy Director posts, 15 by departmental promotion and 4 by deputation are prescribed. But ignoring that rule, 5 officers have been appointed to the post. On the other hand, the department does not look at those who were supposed to get opportunities through departmental promotion. Only one person has been promoted to the post of Deputy Director and the remaining 13 posts have been left vacant. As has been going on for years. Meanwhile, the officers posted on the mission have each occupied the top positions of multiple departments.
In such mismanagement, the project implementation work is not being monitored after the daily office work. Besides, they do not have technical skills in project monitoring work at field level.
An official, who did not want to be named, told Barta24.com that in the last 15 years, the ministers in charge of the Disaster Management Directorate have carried out 'misappropriations'. In the name of relief, officials close to the dictatorial government have built a mountain of wealth. Besides, the deputation appointees hold two to three positions each. As a result departmental leavers did not get evaluation.
This directorate was immersed in unlimited corruption. The corruption of relief money was terrible. In addition, the officials have grabbed hundreds of crores of rupees in the name of implementing various projects. The proof of which can be found, after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 16, the former senior secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Md. Shah Kamal’s house more than Tk. 3 crore in cash and Tk. 10 lakh worth of foreign currency were recovered.
According to the stakeholders, action should be taken against those who are stealing the aid money of the affected people in cyclone and flood prone countries. Apart from increasing the manpower in the department, they also opined that there should be an investigation as to whose interests such an important department has been paralyzed for some purpose in a disaster-prone country.
It is alleged that former senior secretary Shah Kamal was arrested with a large amount of money. Shah Kamal appointed two first-class upazila government engineers as project assistant engineers by showing thumbs up to the promotion rules with huge financial benefits. Later it had two posts of Executive Engineer and two Assistant Engineers, but only one of them was promoted to the post of Assistant Engineer. The authorities kept the post for 9 years by appointing Dewan Nurul Huda without promoting another vacant post.
As a result, the engineering branch of DDM became practically non-functional due to non-regular promotion and recruitment in the engineering branch of DDM. Due to non-promotion to the post of Assistant Engineer on time, two vacant posts of Executive Engineer have also not been filled. For a long time, the recruitment and promotion in the engineering branch has been stopped and the officers chosen by the higher authorities have been appointed to various positions of the ongoing projects.
An officer in two to five posts:
According to the sources of the directorate, each officer has been assigned responsibility in two to five branches without regular promotion. In the administration branch, Tasnuva Nashtaran is in the post of Deputy Director of Administration-2 but has also been posted as Deputy Director of Administration-1 as an additional charge. Mohammad Kamal Hossain has been given the responsibility of Planning Branch, Mitigation Branch, Deputy Director of Kabikha-3 Branch, VGD Branch 1 and 2 Branch as additional responsibility.
Like Tasnubha and Kamal Hossain, Jharna Begum Kabikha-1 branch deputy director is serving as deputy director of Kabikha-2 branch as additional responsibility, Jahangir Ali Khan is serving as relief-2 branch as deputy director of relief branch-1 along with additional responsibility. Fazle Siddique. Yahya is also serving as deputy director of three branches.
Dewan Nurul Huda is posted as Assistant Engineer in the Engineering Branch. This Nurul Huda is known as the confidant of former secretary Shah Kamal, who was arrested with three crore money. Dewan Nurul Huda, who is posted as Assistant Engineer of Engineering Branch, is simultaneously serving as Assistant Engineer of Flood-Shelter Center, Assistant Engineer of Disaster Management Training Center Project and Assistant Engineer of all projects undertaken by DDM. There are allegations against Nurul Huda that he has made the engineering branch of the department ineffective by managing senior officials of direct and indirect administration.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief is one of the most important ministries of the country. About 70% of the social safety net projects undertaken by the government are implemented through the Ministry's Disaster Management Department. Employment Program for the Super Poor, TR-Kabikha) HBB Roads, Construction of Bridges/Curlverts, Homeless House Construction Programme, Construction and Repair of Cyclone Shelters, Construction of Flood Shelters are implemented by the Department. As a result, the officials demand that the government should speed up the work of the department to ensure the social security of the country.
The directorate did not implement the court verdict:
Meanwhile, those deprived of promotion approached the court due to non-appointment and promotion as per the recruitment rules. Among them, an assistant engineer of the Mujib Killa project told Barta24com that they were supposed to be promoted to the post of assistant director according to the seniority published by the department, but they were not promoted. The official, who did not wish to be named, said that although they have received the verdict from the court's Administrative Appellate Tribunal, the authorities are yet to implement the verdict. Where the authorities are supposed to fill up the vacant posts on their own initiative, their silence is causing anger among the departmental staff.
Nagarik-Sujan Secretary for good governance regarding the irregularities of the disaster directorate, which has not been promoted for a long time. Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar told Barta24com that non-promotion of officials in government jobs is a regular complaint. In order to get promotion, the people preferred by the political party are ahead, as a result, the talented are deprived, according to Badiul Alam.
According to this eminent citizen, there are no new people entering the ranks unless there are regular promotions; new people do not create things like new ideas, new work incentives or innovations. And if there are old ones there is no pace of work or new action plan and motivation.
He also said that if the same official stays in one place for a long time, there are complaints of irregularities and corruption. Because when an officer stays in one place for a long time, roots grow and relationships with people are formed, which helps to commit misdeeds. I don't understand how to give someone additional responsibility in multiple positions without giving them new opportunities.
Director General of Disaster Management Directorate Rezwanur Hossain said to Barta24com, "I am new in charge, I will investigate the issues and take action later."
On the question of whether the recruitment rules of the directorate's officers and employees are being followed, he said, 'We are looking at the matter of following the recruitment rules seriously. We have already sent our organogram to the ministry for revision.'
To a question about one person holding several positions without regular promotion, he said, 'We are looking into all the issues.' After that, the official hung up saying 'I am going to a meeting'.
Bangladesh Bank Association President, Exim Bank Chairman and NASA Group Chairman Nazrul Islam Majumder has been arrested by the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective (DB) Police.
He was arrested from the Gulshan area of the capital on Tuesday (October 1) night.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner (DB) Rezaul Karim Mallick confirmed the matter and said that there are many cases against Nazrul Islam, former chairman of Exim Bank and chairman of NASA Group. He was arrested from Gulshan based on specific allegations and intelligence information.