Mobile Toilet Training Govt officials to visit China
Staff reporter :
Three officials from the Local Government Department are set to travel to China for training on the operation and maintenance of five newly purchased mobile toilets.
According to a government order signed by Joint Secretary Mahbuba Airin, Senior Assistant Secretary Md Faruk Hossain, DSCC Assistant Pro-Engineer Mohammad Nuruzzaman, and Deputy Assistant Pro-Engineer Mohammad Zakir Hossain will undertake a seven-day trip beginning October 27. The trip will be fully financed by the manufacturing company, Shandong Qianbai Intelligent Manufacturing Company Limited.
While the order cites the training as an official duty, concerns have been raised as the Office of the Chief Adviser has repeatedly instructed officials to refrain from foreign travel funded by contractors or suppliers. Experts note that such practices create conflicts of interest and undermine accountability.
This is not the first such instance. In recent years, officials from the power division, planning commission, ERD, and IMED have also traveled abroad at contractors’ expense.
often under the pretext of training or factory inspections for new equipment such as sewage plants, trailers, and dumpers.
Government rules stipulate that foreign trips must be limited, strictly necessary, and financed through official channels, except in cases of urgent national interest. However, deviations appear frequent.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman criticized the practice, saying,
“Travel at the expense of contractors is unethical. It creates loyalty toward the supplier and compromises officials’ responsibility to ensure quality.”
Former Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan also stressed that ignoring the Chief Adviser’s directives violates service rules.
The upcoming China visit, particularly for training on mobile toilets, has sparked fresh debate over the misuse of foreign travel opportunities and the government’s struggle to enforce its own policies.