BMDA engineer sent to compulsory retirement after 'taking over' top post

The Ministry of Agriculture has sent Jahangir Alam Khan, additional chief engineer of the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), to compulsory retirement, two days after he took over the executive director's (ED) post without official approval.

Ministry Secretary Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian issued an office order yesterday (25 March) stating that Jahangir Alam Khan had completed 25 years of service and was being retired in the public interest.

The order, issued under section 45 of the Government Service Act, 2018, and sub-section 2(c) of the Government Service (Amendment) Act, 2013, took immediate effect.

Jahangir Alam Khan, previously head of BMDA's irrigation department, assumed the ED's position on 23 March, despite the post being held by Additional Secretary Shafiqul Islam. Reports suggest that Shafiqul Islam was forced out of office.

BMDA Board of Directors member Saiful Islam Hirak said, "The ED was an additional secretary, a government post. Forcibly removing Shafiqul Islam and undermining that position was inappropriate. If no action had been taken, it would have set a worse precedent for BMDA. The compulsory retirement decision is appropriate and will serve as a lesson."

The government frequently appoints officers from outside BMDA to this administrative post. Shafiqul Islam was posted as BMDA's ED in July last year.

However, on 23 February, a gazette notification reassigned him as director general of the Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board in Rajshahi. Instead of assuming his new role, he remained at BMDA for a month, making key decisions.

On 23 March, while in his office, Shafiqul Islam was confronted by Jahangir Alam Khan and several BMDA employees, who pressured him to leave immediately and assume his new post.

A verbal altercation followed, and some individuals reportedly attempted to remove him from his chair. In response, Shafiqul Islam agreed to step down.

A letter was then prepared, in which he signed off on relinquishing his responsibilities, and Jahangir Alam Khan took over.

Despite bypassing two senior additional chief engineers, Jahangir Alam Khan occupied the ED's office.

"I have taken over the responsibility. However, the office order has not been issued. It will be done," he told TBS on Sunday.

BMDA sources allege that Shafiqul Islam's removal occurred with the silent approval of a senior official.

Reacting to the retirement order, Jahangir Alam Khan said on Tuesday night, "I am also seeing a letter like that."

When asked if it was a compulsory retirement order, he replied, "It seems so," adding that he was still trying to confirm the matter.