Retired government secretaries are gearing up to launch the Association of Former Secretaries (AFS) on February 27. Through the platform, they aim to share their experience with the government and the nation. The proposed AFS, a volunteer-driven association, will serve as a government think-tank.

On January 27, a group of retired government secretaries formed a 15-member ad-hoc committee during a meeting at Shilpokola Academy. Former secretary Nazrul Islam was appointed convener of the committee and former senior secretary of finance Hedayetullah Al Mamun as its member secretary.

Former principal secretary Md Abdul Karim, former livestock and fisheries ministry secretary Uzzal Bikash Datt; former health ministry senior secretary Sirajul Islam; former local government, rural development, and co-operatives ministry secretary Khorshed Alam; former works ministry secretary Dr Showkat; former labour secretary Mikhile Shiper, and former secretaries Azharul Islam and Shoilendra Nath Majumder are all part of the ad-hoc committee of the AFS.

The retirees have also formed a sub-committee, headed by the principal coordinator on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Abul Kalam Azad. It includes former education ministry senior secretary Sohrab Hossain. The sub-committee is tasked with preparing an organogram for the association.

Member secretary of the ad-hoc committee, Hedayetullah Al Mamun, said that the names of 511 retired bureaucrats have been gathered to form the new association. “We are collecting their contact details and preparing a data bank to launch the new association by the end of February,” he also said.

“After forming the new association, the retired bureaucrats will conduct seminars, symposiums, research, and discussion meetings on various development issues. They will also provide recommendations to the government,” he added.

“This type of association is not new. Former secretary Anisuzzaman had formed such an association 20 years ago. We will form the association in line with Anisuzzaman’s motto,” Hedayetullah Al Mamun said. “We will organise a general meeting on February 27 or 28 to launch the new association and will finalise the proposed draft organogram,” he added.

“We will try to assemble all retired secretaries under one umbrella,” the retired secretary said. When contacted, Sohrab Hossain revealed that a draft organogram will be submitted to the sub-committee of the AFS to discuss placing it before the next meeting of the proposed organogram. “At least 42 retired secretaries who had worked in different ministries and divisions attended the meeting at Shilpakala Academy on January 27,” he said.

“We also issued a press release after the meeting,” he added.

Retired secretary Shoilendra Nath Majumder said in the course of their careers, they had undergone training on various issues at home and abroad, and they also had more experience on many issues. “We want to share our experience with the authorities in the interest of people and government with a view to building a ‘Sonar Bangladesh’,” he added. ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmud organised Monday’s meeting with the retired secretaries.