brought back Over 400 files from Syed Ashraf’s House
Monalisa khandaker.Dhaka: Over 400 files have been returned from the residence of Syed Ashraful Islam, w
ho was recently removed as the LGRD and Cooperatives Minister. It has been learnt that the ministry is now in trouble with this heap of files.
On July 9 Syed Ashraf, general secretary of the ruling Awami League, was removed from the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry to be made a minister without portfolio. At the same time Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain was put at the helm of the LGRD ministry. Later on July 16 Syed Ashraf was made the Public Administration Minister.
Syed Ashraful Islam told jatirkhantha.com.bd that everyday a lot of files had been sent to him. He did not sign any file after the new minister had taken over at the LGRD Ministry. Maybe, for that reason the files were returned.
LGRD Ministry officials said he did not come to office. Files were left at the residence of Syed Ashraf day after day. If it was that important, he only gave the decision verbally. Those files were now returned. Though in some cases the decisions were implemented, the files were not disposed of. They fear the files may leave them in trouble in future.
An official at the LGRD Ministry thinks the files that were heaped up at the residence of Syed Ashraf worked as a catalyst for his removal from the ministry.
Incumbent LGRD Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain confirmed return of the files. He told jatirkhantha.com.bd, “Yes, it is. What is the problem with that? Where do you see the problem with that? There is no problem. We will coordinate it.”
When asked, LGRD Division Secretary Md Abdul Malek said, “I don’t know from where you came to know about it. But why are you asking me about this?”
Though Syed Ashraf, the son of Mujibnagar government’s acting president and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s close aide Syed Nazrul Islam, was praised for his honesty, allegations are rife against him about skipping office.
Syed Ashraful Islam told “LGRD is a big ministry. It covers the union councils, district councils, upazila councils and city corporations. The councils are manned by thousands of chairmen, vice chairmen and other staffs. About 400-450 files were sent to me a day.”
“After departing the LGRD ministry, I did not handle any file. The files will be sent to the new minister,” said the incumbent Public Administration Minister.
When his attention was drawn to the fact that the files contained those dating five years back, Syed Ashraf said, “Maybe, there were some files that lost their validity. But I think all the files are active.”
A project of the LGRD Division involving Tk 6,076 crore 44 lakh was placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in its meeting on July 7 last. As the minister (Syed Ashraf) was not present, the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was aggrieved. She told the people concerned to remove Syed Ashraf. Two days later Syed Ashraf was removed.
During the tenure of the last AL-led grand alliance government also Syed Ashraf was at the helm of the LGRD Ministry. During that term he went to his office at the Secretariat only for few days.
After the January 5 election in 2014 a new cabinet headed by Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister was formed on January 12 that year. In that cabinet also Syed Ashraf was made the LGRD Minister. But this time he did not go to his office for a single day.
LGRD Ministry’s additional secretary and the minister’s private secretary Ashok Madhab Roy and assistant private secretary Selim Khan used to take the files to the minister’s home.
