WASA Chairman resigns under duress
Staff Reporter :
Engineer Md Rahmatullah resigned the post of Chairman of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) under the pressure of vested quarters and Managing Director Engineer Taksim A Khan.
He tendered his resignation letter to Selim Khan, Personal Secretary to LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on June 19 l showing personal ground.
Sources said that the chairman did it for various reasons viz. re-appointment of the managing director bypassing the board meeting, his (MD) whimsical decisions in official matters, for not holding board meetings for months together and creation of obstacles to performing his own official duties.
Taksim A Khan has managed to remain in the post of WASA managing director for longer time than any of his predecessors.
Closing the eyes to the decisions taken by the board; the managing director has been imposing his own decisions on others for years. Taksim has not made the jobs of the master roll employees regular, ignoring board’s decisions.
Taksim reportedly has good connection with Dhaka WASA Labour Union president Hafiz Uddin. Creating personal influence, Taksim formed a syndicate with a few engineers loyal to him. The members of the syndicate are Superintendent Engineer Akhtaruzzaman, Rafikul Islam, Executive Engineer Mohsin Ali Mia and Abdus Sattar Sabuj. Besides, DMD Kamrul Islam Chowdhury and Chief Revenue Officer
Golam Ahmed have links to the syndicate.
Several sources in WASA claimed that Rafikul Islam was playing the role of cashier of Taksim. An engineer said, Rafikul plundered huge amount of money by managing work order in favour of his wife’s construction firm. As affected persons registered complaint to the ministry, Rafikul was removed from the post of staff officer. Yet, he continues his evil business.
Akhtaruzzaman, another member of Taksim syndicate, has replaced Rafikul. Besides, Mohsin Ali Mia and Abdus Sattar Sabuj have become desperate in looting money on behalf of MD.
A Board member said that Taksim had been committing massive corruptions. He extended the job term of Revenue Officer Golam Ahmed on two occasions. Whereas, he caused the exit of Engineer Rahmatullah from the chairman post. Akhtaruzzaman, superintendent engineer, however, refused to make any comment in this regard.
It has been learnt that the chairman submitted his resignation letter to the LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on June 19. He joined as the chairman on May 8, 2012. After some days, conflict started between the two high officials. But the resignation letter was not received by proper authority, said WASA officials.
WASA Chairman Engineer Rahmatullah said, as per the law the organisation’s highest authority is WASA board. MD of WASA is appointed on recommendation of the board. Whereas the board itself has been embarrassed by the MD after his re-appointment. Moreover, a board meeting is supposed to be held in every month but it is a matter of sorrow that board meeting had not been held for the last six months.
He said, “I used to send letter to the LGRD secretary regularly for arranging board meeting but to no result. After that I realized that it was not possible for me to work as per the rules and regulation.” In the resignation letter he said, “I should be released in the given situation.”
According to water supply and sanitation authority law (Dhaka WASA Law (Amendment) 1996, Section 1) the board will hold as many meetings as may be necessary for scrutiny of duties and responsibilities of the executives, officers, staff and employees properly. But there is a condition that at least one board meeting will be held in every two months.
It has also been learnt that a special board meeting of WASA was held on October 7 in 2013 for the last time with the presence of chairman. But WASA MD Eng Taksim A Khan was not present though he is the chief executive of Dhaka WASA and most important member of the board.
Seeking anonymity an official said ignoring the rules and regulation and postponing the board meeting, WASA MD created pressure in many ways on the chairman for the resignation.
WASA Chairman was compelled to resign as he was inactive for long time. Now an additional secretary has been posted as the chairman and the board meeting is being held as per his will.
Engineer Md Rahmatullah resigned the post of Chairman of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) under the pressure of vested quarters and Managing Director Engineer Taksim A Khan.
He tendered his resignation letter to Selim Khan, Personal Secretary to LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on June 19 l showing personal ground.
Sources said that the chairman did it for various reasons viz. re-appointment of the managing director bypassing the board meeting, his (MD) whimsical decisions in official matters, for not holding board meetings for months together and creation of obstacles to performing his own official duties.
Taksim A Khan has managed to remain in the post of WASA managing director for longer time than any of his predecessors.
Closing the eyes to the decisions taken by the board; the managing director has been imposing his own decisions on others for years. Taksim has not made the jobs of the master roll employees regular, ignoring board’s decisions.
Taksim reportedly has good connection with Dhaka WASA Labour Union president Hafiz Uddin. Creating personal influence, Taksim formed a syndicate with a few engineers loyal to him. The members of the syndicate are Superintendent Engineer Akhtaruzzaman, Rafikul Islam, Executive Engineer Mohsin Ali Mia and Abdus Sattar Sabuj. Besides, DMD Kamrul Islam Chowdhury and Chief Revenue Officer
Golam Ahmed have links to the syndicate.
Several sources in WASA claimed that Rafikul Islam was playing the role of cashier of Taksim. An engineer said, Rafikul plundered huge amount of money by managing work order in favour of his wife’s construction firm. As affected persons registered complaint to the ministry, Rafikul was removed from the post of staff officer. Yet, he continues his evil business.
Akhtaruzzaman, another member of Taksim syndicate, has replaced Rafikul. Besides, Mohsin Ali Mia and Abdus Sattar Sabuj have become desperate in looting money on behalf of MD.
A Board member said that Taksim had been committing massive corruptions. He extended the job term of Revenue Officer Golam Ahmed on two occasions. Whereas, he caused the exit of Engineer Rahmatullah from the chairman post. Akhtaruzzaman, superintendent engineer, however, refused to make any comment in this regard.
It has been learnt that the chairman submitted his resignation letter to the LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on June 19. He joined as the chairman on May 8, 2012. After some days, conflict started between the two high officials. But the resignation letter was not received by proper authority, said WASA officials.
WASA Chairman Engineer Rahmatullah said, as per the law the organisation’s highest authority is WASA board. MD of WASA is appointed on recommendation of the board. Whereas the board itself has been embarrassed by the MD after his re-appointment. Moreover, a board meeting is supposed to be held in every month but it is a matter of sorrow that board meeting had not been held for the last six months.
He said, “I used to send letter to the LGRD secretary regularly for arranging board meeting but to no result. After that I realized that it was not possible for me to work as per the rules and regulation.” In the resignation letter he said, “I should be released in the given situation.”
According to water supply and sanitation authority law (Dhaka WASA Law (Amendment) 1996, Section 1) the board will hold as many meetings as may be necessary for scrutiny of duties and responsibilities of the executives, officers, staff and employees properly. But there is a condition that at least one board meeting will be held in every two months.
It has also been learnt that a special board meeting of WASA was held on October 7 in 2013 for the last time with the presence of chairman. But WASA MD Eng Taksim A Khan was not present though he is the chief executive of Dhaka WASA and most important member of the board.
Seeking anonymity an official said ignoring the rules and regulation and postponing the board meeting, WASA MD created pressure in many ways on the chairman for the resignation.
WASA Chairman was compelled to resign as he was inactive for long time. Now an additional secretary has been posted as the chairman and the board meeting is being held as per his will.