Desk Report,
From worker to engineer, tax collector ‘in one leap’
Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) has promoted people as assistant engineers, tax collectors, road supervisors, permit inspectors, and accounting assistants without following the rules by appointing them as workers. No notification was given in this recruitment and promotion process. No written or oral examination was conducted.
From worker to engineer, tax collector ‘in one leap’
This irregularity occurred in the last two years of the ousted Awami League government, when the mayor was Md. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Joint General Secretary of Chittagong City Awami League. He took over as mayor on February 15, 2021, and when the government fell on August 5 last year, the interim government removed him on August 19. Since then, he has been in hiding.
There is no reliable information on how many people Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury has appointed in his three and a half years. However, the CCC has prepared a list of 188 people appointed in the last two years. In that list, it was seen that at least 64 people were appointed to higher grade positions in one leap by being appointed as workers.
According to the CCC’s manpower structure, the worker post is of the 20th grade. But from there, they were promoted to the posts of 10th grade deputy assistant engineer, 16th grade tax collector or permit inspector. The necessary process was not followed in such promotions.
Several officials of the CSC said that these appointments were made on the recommendations of the then mayor, ward councilor, some officials and labor leaders. Jobs were arranged for close people without examination. Later, they were promoted to important posts.
Current mayor Shahadat Hossain told Prothom Alo, “No rules were followed in terms of appointments and promotions. Many people have been absent from work after getting jobs. However, now we are trying to bring it back to the rules. If you are absent for seven consecutive working days without permission, you will be dismissed.”
