Govt officials ordered to submit wealth statements by Nov 30

Staff Reporter :

In a significant move to enhance accountability and curb corruption, the government has directed all officials and employees to submit their wealth statements by 30th November to their respective ministries and departments.

Going forward, these reports will need to be updated annually, with submissions due by 31st December each year.

The decision was announced by Md Mokhlesur Rahman, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, during a press briefing held today. He emphasised that a standardised form has been developed to guide government employees in reporting their assets.

The directive requires all government employees to declare their movable and immovable assets in sealed envelopes, following the procedure set by their respective ministries or departments.

This process is based on the Government Servants (Conduct) Rule, 1979, which was amended in 2002. Under this rule, civil servants are already obligated to submit a wealth statement upon joining the service and update it every five years.

However, enforcement has been lax despite several reminders from the Public Administration Ministry over the years.

In response to questions about compliance, Secretary Mokhlesur Rahman issued a firm warning: “Anyone who doesn’t submit the statement or provides wrong information will face either major or minor punishment.”

He stressed that serious consequences would follow for those who fail to submit their wealth statements or provide inaccurate information.

The Senior Secretary explained that the new annual reporting requirement is part of the interim government’s broader efforts to reform public service and promote transparency.

“I hope this action will rein in corruption,” he stated, expressing optimism that the initiative would help address long-standing challenges within the civil service.

Although the wealth declaration rule has existed for decades, its implementation has been patchy.

Previous efforts to enforce compliance have largely been ineffective, as many government employees neglected to submit their asset reports despite multiple reminders from the ministry.

The Senior Secretary acknowledged that the rule had mostly remained “on paper,” with no concrete action taken against non-compliant officials in the past.

With the interim government now making wealth declarations an annual requirement, it signals a renewed focus on ensuring that government employees remain accountable for their assets throughout their service.

This reform is part of a broader series of measures taken by the current administration to strengthen transparency and reduce corruption in the public sector.

The annual reporting rule represents a proactive step towards addressing the lack of accountability that has plagued the civil service for years.