Turn down unjustified demands by politicians
Inu tells bureaucrats
Information minister Hasanul Haque Inu has advised bureaucrats to turn down unjustified demands by politicians.
You (the bureaucrats) are empowered with Section 133 of the Constitution. If the politicians ask you to do anything, tell them to give the order in writing, otherwise say no, Inu said yesterday.
The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar on Performance Management System of Public Service Commission and Information Commission in Bangladesh. It was organised by BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) at a city hotel.
He also expressed concern over the lack of transparency and lobbying in bureaucracy. As long as there is lobbying, the right people cannot be placed at right place, he added.
Inu also said people in this country think that bureaucrats are obedient slaves to their political masters. In truth, bureaucracy was established as an independent mechanism to aid the government to serve the people. But here, people think otherwise, he added.
The minister further said Bangladesh is still struggling to establish democracy after a long military rule. We are still fighting wars internally. These wars are against poverty, climate change, gender discrimination and terrorism. These fights would help us to pave the way for true democracy in the country, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) chairman Ekram Ahmed sought to clear the air on the leak of question papers. He said the BPSC has incorporated a third party to prepare the questions as well as to moderate and check the answer sheets. We have no hand in the whole process except the viva, he added.
