South DCC action quite quizzical

The High Court has stayed for six months the transfer and stand-release of Ashiqur Rahman, project director (PD) of Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover.

The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) authorities had transferred Ashiqur Rahman, the superintendent engineer, reportedly for issuing a letter to the flyover's operator that the DSCC mayor should be allowed to use the flyover toll free.

Citing a transfer order of the local government division dated June 8, the DSCC released Ashiq, in charge of traffic engineering department, the same day. 

He was transferred to Gazipur City Corporation reportedly as a reaction to a news item published in The Daily Star on May 29 headlined “PM paid toll, mayor didn't”.

On May 26, hours after an altercation between Khokon's men and flyover staff over paying toll, the city corporation authorities issued a letter to the flyover operator asking them to make sure the flyover was made toll-free for the mayor.

However, the city corporation the following day and on the mayor's instruction issued another letter retracting the first letter.

Ashiq in a presentation to the secretary to the local government division on June 9, said he had not received any transfer order and the release order too was “incomplete and was not executable”.

He was released without the procedure of handover and takeover of charge, said the presentation and a DSCC superintendent engineer Md Shehab Ullah took over Ashiq's office on June 9.  

Shehab Ullah is facing a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission for causing a loss of Tk 827 crore to the state, official documents say. He is on bail.

The DSCC put Ashiq in charge of a post of a superintendent engineer and made him the flyover PD in 2009. The transfer order, however, identified him as an executive engineer on the grounds that his promotion to superintendent engineer was being considered.

“I am a victim of a corrupt quarter in the city corporation,” said Ashiq, adding, “I had to go to the court, as the ministry did not come up with any directions following my presentation.

“I am afraid that I may have to suffer further retaliation, as I preferred going to the court.

“But with the High Court staying the transfer order, I will go to my office tomorrow [today].”

The High Court while issuing its order on Thursday asked the local government secretary and deputy secretary, DSCC mayor, chief engineer and the city corporation secretary to explain within a month why the transfer orders were not unlawful. 

When asked about the necessity for stand-releasing Ashiq without even the handover of charge, DSCC Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon said, “I do not find anything unlawful in transferring and instantly releasing him, as it is a normal practice.”

As to whether it was in retaliation to the news “on his desire for toll-free ride on the Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover”, Khokon said, “Ashiq is already at fault, as he issued a letter to the flyover's private operator asking for toll-free ride for me.”

“I did not ask for any such privilege and we have served a show-cause [notice] on Ashiq in this regard,” he said.

Khokon after the altercation between his men and flyover staff had told The Daily Star that the private operator of the flyover should naturally entertain the mayor, as the city corporation was co-owner of the flyover.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while inaugurating the flyover on October 11, 2013, paid toll for her car, saying all would have to pay toll for using it.