Cabinet secretary M Musharraf Hossain on Sunday asked the home secretary to beef up security around the cabinet division and the public administration ministry to bar officers on special duty (OSDs), officials and employees from meeting them without prior appointment. He also asked the home secretary to keep the officials and employees under surveillance to prevent any untoward incident like demonstrations for their demands, a source said.
Before holding the meeting, a group of 50 OSD officers met senior secretary of public administration ministry Abdus Sobhan Sikder seeking promotions and postings for them.
The officials also went to the office room of the cabinet secretary but could not meet him as he was at the meeting. However, officials of the cabinet division informed the cabinet secretary about the matter.
At the meeting, senior secretary of the public administration ministry said OSD officers met him in his office-room several times without taking prior permission. Hearing this, the cabinet secretary immediately asked the home secretary for taking necessary steps as the OSD officers and a section of employees of the secretariat cannot create an unstable situation in the administrative hub by organising a gathering. The home secretary assured him of taking necessary steps as soon as possible.
When the OSD officers moved the secretary of the public administration ministry and cabinet secretary, members of different intelligence agencies, including the Detective Branch (DB) of police, have been keeping a watch on the activities of the officials. The policemen also barred them to sit at the library room of the public administration ministry.
On the other hand, a group of ‘pro-government’ employees, led by their leaders Ruhul Amin and Monir Hossain, forced the OSD officers to leave the ministry premises on Sunday.
After hearing about this, another group of employees, led by their leaders Mahe Alam and Nazrul Islam, took position near the public administration ministry.
Talking to this correspondent, Abdus Sobhan Sikder, senior secretary of the public administration ministry, said he was trying to resolve their problems.
Cabinet secretary M Musharraf Hossain told The Independent that he will consider the matter of promotion for officials as the chairman of the Superior Selection Board (SSB).
On December 4, at least 50 OSD officers had met the secretary of the public administration ministry and the cabinet secretary, seeking promotions.
-With The Independent input
