Govt suspends deputy secretary who prepared the IMED research report
The government has suspended Mohammad Mahidur Rahman, the former director (deputy secretary) of the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) of the Planning Ministry, who prepared the research report recommending reforms in the power sector.
The order was issued in a Ministry of Public Administration notification on Tuesday (18 July).
Earlier on Monday (17 July), another Ministry of Public Administration notification made the officer OSD (Officer on special duty).
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At the end of last month, IMED published a research report on the progress of implementing power sector projects in Bangladesh.
IMED Director (Deputy Secretary) Mohammad Mahidur Rahman prepared this research report.
The research report criticised the power sector's capacity charge and provisions for indemnity and recommended reforms in these areas.
The Business Standard on 7 July 2023 published two reports titled "End power sector's capacity charge, repeal indemnity law: Monitoring body" and "Corruption behind unfit foreign firms getting power project: Report," which were based on the "Research Report on Implementation Progress of Projects in Power Sector" published on the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division's website.
After that, when more reports based on the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division's research were published in various media, the authorities concerned faced heavy criticism.
Amid the heavy criticism, the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division first removed the research report from its website on Saturday morning and republished it on the website the same day, excluding the critical parts.
The organisation has also sent rejoinders to various media outlets, including TBS, regarding the reports, saying that some of the issues mentioned in the research report were not their opinion.
In addition to the suspended deputy secretary, IMED Director General (Additional Secretary) SM Hamidul Haque was the advisor on the research.
The additional secretary was also made OSD on 16 July.
