Prime Minister’s adviser HT Imam recently asked the energy ministry to appoint a civil engineer as member of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission though he is not eligible for the position.
In an official letter dated April 18, he told the state minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Mohammad Enamul Huq that the prime minister gave ‘her kind instruction’ to appoint Mohammad Shahadat Hossain as a member of the BERC.
The PM’s adviser on public administration affairs attached three-page curriculum vitae of Mohammad Shahadat Hossain with his letter.
He asked the state minister to place the matter before the prime minister in an official ‘summery’ on urgent basis.
He gave a copy of the letter to the senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration.
The PM is in charge of the energy ministry.
The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Act 2003, amended in 2010, set the academic qualification of BERC member as graduation in Mine and Mineral Resources or electrical engineering or chemical engineering or mechanical engineering or petroleum engineering.
According to the criterion set Master’s degree holders in geography, geology and mining, law, economics, accounting, business administration,
management, finance, banking, marketing, public administration, chemistry, physics or applied physics are also eligible.
Civil engineers are in no way eligible for the position.
According to the BERC Act a candidate is required to have at least 15 years’ experience in any of the specified fields.
Asked why he recommended a civil engineer for the position HT Imam told New Age on Sunday, ‘I forwarded the letter as I have received. The concerned authority would take the decision whether he is qualified or not.’
Imam said that the concerned authority was not bound to follow his recommendation.
Shahadat took retirement after serving Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited for 26 years. He wrote in his CV that he took retirement as deputy general manager in February 2011.
During his service, he mentioned, he took part in different training programmes related to gas transmission and distribution.
Officials said that Shahadat does not in any way qualify for the position of member of BERC.
They said that Shahadat’s ‘main qualification’ is his links.
Shahadat also mentioned in his CV that he was the vice-president of Bangabandhu Prakoushali Parisad and always worked to organise engineers, who are followers of Bangabandhu in the Institution of Engineers of Bangladesh.
He also mentioned that he met Sheikh Hasina several times after her home coming in 1981.
Shahadat also mentioned in his CV that he actively took part n different political programmes of Awami League and its front organisations during his service life.
BERC is a statutory body, not a political organisation, said officials.
Asked whether a BERC member candidate needed political experience, HT Imam said that he was not aware of what Shahadat had attached with his CV.
Short listing Shahadat’s name as a candidate member of BERC took e place at a time when the energy regulatory commission is facing allegations of taking politically motivated decisions.
An Energy Division official said that a committee was working on the appointment of the energy commission members and prepared a short list among the applicants for the posts.
Source: New Age