Never seen BNP leader Tarique Rahman directly, says Mokbul after forced retirement as info secretary

UNB, Dhaka :

Md Mokbul Hossain on Monday denied seeing BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman directly, a day after he was sent on early retirement as the information secretary in “public interest.”

“I’ve never seen Tarique Rahman physically and have no intention to see him. I’ve never made any compromise with morality in my life and I’m not even prepared for this situation,” he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.

No details have been available about his alleged connection with Tarique, who has been living in London with his family since September 2008. In his absence he was tried and convicted in deadly grenade attack on then-opposition leader Sheikh Hasina’s rally in Dhaka on August 21, 2004 and in a money laundering case.

On Sunday Mokbul was shown the door in “public interest’ nearly a year before he was due to retire from government service triggering speculations about the real reason.

Asked about different allegations brought against him, Mokbul requested the reporters to publish if they get anything like this.

Replying to a question about his visit to London where he met some people, Mokbul said “We went there in the month of March as a team. Why have you raised this question now? Ashequn Nabi was in-charge of our press and if you (journalists) ask him it would be clear.”

Ashequn Nabi Chowdhury is the minister (press) at Bangladesh High Commission in London.

Moqbul also said that “If it is proved that I was in contact with BNP, please put me on the dock ….. It is impossible for a person who holds Bangabandhu as his ideal, can make any connection with the BNP.”

 “I have no idea why I have been sent on early retirement but the government has the right to do it. There is no scope to anything against it. I am always ready to stand before the court.”

Responding to a query about the allegation brought against him that he has a connection with another party, Mokbul said “As a journalist you can investigate it. I have no connection with any anti-government activities and if there is any, you (journalist) can publish it. I have no complaints about it.”

Answering a question that he has developed a distance with the information minister, Mokbul said there will be many gossips and it will be better not to rely on these. “As far as I know we worked together and I respect him,” he said.

Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said “I have seen the gazette yesterday but I have no idea about it, the Public Administration Ministry can explain about it.”

Hasan said this while talking to reporters after a view-exchange meeting with the television artists, directors and producers at his office.

Such incidents have occurred before and the government can send any secretary on compulsory retirement and the Public Administration Ministry can explain it properly, Hasan added.

According to the notification issued on Sunday, Mokbul has been sent on retirement from government service in the public interest in accordance with Section 45 of the “Government Employment Act, 2018.

Mokbul joined as the secretary of the Information Ministry on May 31, 2021. Before joining the ministry, he was a registrar of the Directorate of Joint Capital Companies and Firms. He also served as additional secretary of the Jute and Textile Ministry.

He joined Bangladesh Civil Service as a 10th batch officer of the BCS (Administration) cadre in 1991.