Chattogram Wasa MD appointment cancelled within hours

The appointment of a new managing director of Chattogram Wasa was cancelled within two hours of being announced last night (24 March), following controversy over the decision.

According to officials, a notification issued by the Ministry of Public Administration at around 8pm appointed Dhaka Wasa Chief Engineer Shawkat Mahmud as the MD of Chattogram Wasa on transfer-cum-deputation.

However, the decision drew immediate criticism as he is a fourth-grade official, while the existing chief engineer of Chattogram Wasa, Maksul Alam, holds a higher, third-grade position.

Officials of Chattogram Wasa said preparations for appointing a managing director had been ongoing since the elections, but last night's development came as a surprise. 

They noted that there is no precedent in the country for a chief engineer of one Wasa to be directly appointed as managing director of another, particularly when the appointee holds a lower grade than the organisation's own chief engineer.

Later, a second notification was issued at around 10pm cancelling the appointment.

Chattogram Wasa Chief Engineer Maksul Alam confirmed the development, saying he received the initial notification at around 8pm and the cancellation notice two hours later.

"I received the notification around 8pm on Tuesday. Dhaka Wasa Chief Engineer Shawkat Mahmud was appointed on deputation as the managing director of Chattogram Wasa. Later, at 10pm, the appointment was cancelled through another notification," he said.The initial notification, signed by Deputy Secretary Mohammad Nur-e-Alam of the Deputation-1 branch of the Ministry of Public Administration, stated that Shawkat Mahmud's services were placed under the relevant department in the public interest for appointment as managing director of Chattogram Wasa on transfer-cum-deputation.

A subsequent notification, signed by Deputy Secretary Md Rafiqul Haque, said the earlier order transferring Shawkat Mahmud to the Local Government Division as managing director of Chattogram Wasa had been cancelled with immediate effect in the public interest.

The post of managing director in Chattogram Wasa was created in 2011, following the model of Dhaka Wasa, alongside a reconstitution of the board.

At that time, then chairman AKM Fazlullah was appointed as managing director and continued in the role until October 2024, when he was removed after the fall of the Awami League government in August that year.

Following his removal, Muhammad Anwar Pasha, a director of the Local Government Division in Chattogram, was given responsibility for the post.

In February last year, he was transferred to the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation as executive director.

Since then, Additional Divisional Commissioner Monowara Begum, who oversees the Local Government Division in Chattogram, has been performing the duties of managing director.

During the tenure of the Awami League government, managing directors of Wasa bodies were appointed on political considerations, officials said.

After the mass uprising, the interim government introduced a policy for appointing MDs.

For the first time in 14 years, Chattogram Wasa published a recruitment circular for the post last March.

The circular was later revised several times and republished on 24 July.

However, due to certain conditions in the policy, the interim government has not been able to appoint a managing director through examination.