Azad likely to be made PMs power adviser
DEEPAK ACHARJEE, Dhaka
Former principal secretary to prime minister Md Abul Kalam Azad, who completed his tenure as principal coordinator of Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) in Bangladesh on Sunday, is likely to be appointed the prime ministers adviser on power (electricity) affairs soon, a highly placed source has said. The Cabinet Division has already started the process of issuing a gazette notification for the appointment of Md. Abul Kalam Azad, a 1982 batch BCS admin cadre officer, as PMs adviser with the status of a minister, the sources added. Talking to The Independent, a high official of the Cabinet Division said they are expecting to issue a
gazette notification in this regard after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas return from Spain. Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury is currently serving as the PMs adviser on power, energy and mineral resources affairs. If the PM appoints Azad as adviser on power affairs, responsibilities have to be divided among the two adviser or changes have to be made to the existing responsibilities of Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury. Once Abul Kalam Azad is appointed as PM adviser, the number of PMs advisers will reach eight.
Before being appointed as the principal coordinator of SDGs, Azad had coordinated all administrative, development and reform process from Prime Ministers Office as Principal Secretary to PM and also as Secretary of the Prime Ministers Office (PMO). Azad also worked for a long time as secretary of the Power Division. His efforts helped Bangladesh increase its power generation capacity three times.
