With Hasina’s fall, Department of Agricultural Extension sees major power shift

Following the fall of the Awami League government, the Ministry of Agriculture has issued transfer or new appointment notifications for at least 34 officials, including the director general and directors of all wings, at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) at Khamarbari in Dhaka.

Besides, files for office transfers of several project directors and over a hundred other officials also reportedly remain pending.

With the change, insiders say, the control at the DAE, which had long been held by officials with backgrounds from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), is now shifting to officials with backgrounds from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU).

Officials from the ministry and the DAE say during the Hasina regime, officials with backgrounds from BAU exerted their influence to place their own group members in favourable positions at Khamarbari, including appointments, transfers, or project roles.

There are also allegations that during the period, many qualified individuals were deprived and incompetent officials were appointed in violation of regulations.

The division between these two groups became more pronounced during the tenure of former agriculture minister Md Abdur Razzaque, as he was a BAU alumnus. Consequently, his group was at the forefront of receiving favourable postings and benefits, say the officials.

Until the 2024 elections, during Razzaque's tenure as agriculture minister, two BAU-centric groups held significant sway. One was led by Mohammad Boni Amin, director of the Nutrition and Food Security Enhancement Project, and Mukhlasur Rahman, project director of the Tuber Crops Development Project.

Their close official,  Md Joynal Abedin, director of Finance and Administration, was transferred to the Gazipur Seed Certification Agency on 2 September. While serving as the deputy director of the Administration Wing, he did not allegedly allow director appointments to maintain his power.

He was assisted by Muhammad Abdul Hai, deputy director (personnel) of the same wing, who has also been transferred to Narsingdi, along with several other officials.

The group of officials at the DAE, linked to the Awami League, exercised their influence to control transfers, appointments, and major project director roles according to their preferences. There are also allegations of financial transactions behind these appointments. To maintain their influence, they cultivated close relationships with the minister and secretary.

The second group, led by former DAE director general Md Hamidur Rahman and Md Moajjem Hossain, president of the BCS (Agriculture) Association, was also active. The group exerted influence over matters ranging from tenders to transfers and appointments. Md Hamidur Rahman is currently employed as a consultant with a high salary on a project.

KIB General Secretary Md Khairul Alam (Prince), along with the Awami League committee members, former agriculture minister and president of the Bangabandhu Agriculture Council Abdur Razzaque, general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, and prime minister's special assistant agriculturalist Moshiur Rahman Humayun, all patronised the DAE-centric groups. The leaders of the Krishak League were also involved in the patronage.

Officials say that as the election process began on 7 January, the influence of former agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque started to wane, and the influence of former agriculture secretary Wahida Akter increased.

Wahida had been appointed on a one-year contractual basis based on a special recommendation from the Prime Minister's Office. The appointment has now been cancelled by the interim government.

The group led by Mohammad Boni Amin and Mukhlasur Rahman, once loyal to Abdur Razzaque, took the opportunity to strengthen their connections with Wahida Akter. Even though Abdus Shahid took over the agriculture ministry after the January elections, the opinion of Wahida held significant influence.

The former secretary had led a march of officials against the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

On 4 August, under Wahida's leadership, several officials, including Md Ahsanul Bashar, additional director of the Dhaka region at DAE, former DG Badal Chandra Biswas, former director of administration Md Joynal Abedin, deputy director Md Abdul Hai (personnel), deputy director Mohammad Shahidul Islam (legal and support services), and AIS director Surjit Saha Roy, actively participated.

Ahsanul Bashar was given a significant role as additional director of the Dhaka region, bypassing senior officials, by the former secretary.

Wahida faced criticism also for various irregularities. Additionally, she used her influence to extend the contract of Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, the former chairman of BARC and her husband, on two occasions.

Despite not meeting the eligibility requirements, Wahida appointed Mizanur Rahman as programme coordinator and Gour Gobinda as APC for a World Bank-funded partner project worth Tk7,000 crore at the DAE.

TBS contacted several officials from the BAU group, including Wahida. However, except for one, none were willing to comment while others did not pick up their phones. The mobile number of former minister Abdur Razzaque was found switched off.

Md Joynal Abedin, director of the Seed Certification Agency, said, "I am a government employee, and I must go wherever I am transferred. I have no other comments."

Md Tajul Islam Patwary has been given the current responsibility as the director general, and Md Shahinul Islam has been appointed as the director of the crucial Administration and Finance Wing at the DAE.

The current promotions and transfers are being led by Mohammad Mahbubur Rashid, who was newly appointed as the deputy director of administration on 19 August. He previously served as the district training officer in Narsingdi.

Mahbubur Rashid was the vice president of the Chhatra Dal wing of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University during his student years.

Md Rezaul Islam, who is still employed as an additional deputy director at the Habiganj DAE, lost out on promotions due to departmental disciplinary actions during his career. Although he is from the BCS 20th batch, whose members have now been promoted to the 4th grade, Rezaul Islam remains in the 6th grade. He is currently lobbying for a position as the project director of a major project.

Rezaul told TBS, "We have requested the transfer of over a hundred officials to speed up and reform the work at the DAE. This is happening, but very slowly. I have proposed to join a project, and the proposal has been sent to the ministry."

After the fall of the government, Mahbubur Rashid, Md Rezaul Islam, and Md Shahinul Islam held a press conference at the DAE. They raised their grievances about being overlooked. They are now sending lists to the ministry for promotions, new appointments, project director positions, and other changes in officials at the DAE.

Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian, the new secretary of the agriculture ministry, told TBS, "The initial instability in various departments of agriculture is now under control. Although there are claims of being overlooked, decisions are being made after careful verification and assessment."

In addition to the DAE, control of the KIB is now held by a group led by Shamimur Rahman Shamim, the joint secretary of the BNP, and Rashidul Hasan Harun, the convener of the Agriculturist Association of Bangladesh. Anowarun Nabi Majumdar Babla, who was the AAB Convener in 2008, is also now fiercely vying for control of the KIB.