NN Online:
Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, adviser for the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, has apologized for what he termed as a mistake by his father.
He made the statement in a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday.
“First of all, I apologise for my father’s mistake,” he wrote.
“Around 9pm on Wednesday, a journalist called and asked about the contractor’s licence issued in my father’s name. After talking to my father, I confirmed that he had a district-level license issued by the district executive engineer’s office.
“I confirmed the matter to the journalist. He posted it, and the news was also picked up by the media. There has been a lot of discussion and criticism, so I felt the need to give an explanation.
“My father is a school teacher. He is the headmaster of Yakub Ali Bhuiyan Public High School in Akubpur. A local contractor advised him to get a licence, using his identity to facilitate getting work. My father received the licence from the district executive engineer based on that advice.”
He continued: “Any citizen can apply for a business license. However, my father’s involvement in the contracting business while I am overseeing the relevant ministry clearly constitutes a conflict of interest. After I explained the matter, the licence was cancelled on Thursday based on his application,” he said.
In the post, he further wrote: “My father may not have understood the issue of conflict of interest. I apologize on his behalf.”
It should be noted that no applications for work were submitted using that licence, he added.
