Dr Abu Nasar Mohammad Abdullah, joint secretary of the Planning Branch-1 under the Local Government Division, has been appointed as the administrator of the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC), taking on the role as an additional responsibility.
The appointment has drawn attention because Abdullah is the younger brother of Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser of the interim government.
According to an office order issued by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) on September 1, Abdullah officially assumed the position at the beginning of the month. He succeeded AHM Kamruzzaman, who was recently promoted to additional secretary and transferred to the Ministry of Food.
Multiple sources noted that Liaquat Ali Mollah, recently appointed as secretary of the Ministry of Law, is also a close associate of the press secretary. Both hail from the same village in Magura and have often appeared together at events organized by the Magura Association prior to their respective appointments.
When contacted, Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam denied any involvement in his brother’s appointment. He said he never lobbied the interim government, the LGRD adviser, or any other official regarding the matter. He defended Abdullah’s qualifications, noting that he holds a master’s degree from Germany, a PhD from Australia, and a first-class first degree from the University of Dhaka. “He is a capable and qualified officer. I do not believe in nepotism,” the press secretary said.
LGRD Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain said Dr Abdullah’s appointment was due to a shortage of officers from the Ministry of Public Administration and delays in security clearance. “Many of our ministry’s officers have been given additional responsibilities under such circumstances.”
Narayanganj City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Zakir Hossain said Dr Abdullah joined as administrator on August 31. “I was not aware that he was the chief adviser’s press secretary’s brother. I came to know this later from various quarters.”
Repeated attempts to contact Dr Abu Nasar Mohammad Abdullah for comment were unsuccessful.
