Staff Reporter

Public Works Department Chief Engineer Shamim Akhter has angered the officials of the department by cutting their salary for one day for organizing the National Mourning Day program in defiance of the government order. Several officials told the media that the Public Works Department has taken such an initiative despite the lack of high-level instructions from the government.

According to a letter issued by the Public Works Department on August 11, the National Mourning Day Committee, comprising 12 officers in the ranks of Additional Chief Engineer, Superintendent Engineer and Executive Engineer, oversaw the deduction of money from salaries. Superintendent Engineer Md. Shahidul Alam was given the responsibility of coordinating this program.

According to the committee meeting held on August 11, the committee will collect one day's salary for the officers of all zones, circles and chief engineer's office except the public works departments and will be in charge of overall financial management.

However, in a letter sent from the ministry on July 11, the chief engineer Md Shamim Akhter was instructed to observe National Mourning Day. However, the public works officials confirmed that instructions were given to collect any kind of money and not to deduct the salaries of government officials and employees in celebration of this day. Even then, the company's chief engineer Shamim Akhter has been criticized for cutting their salaries for one day.

Despite repeated phone calls no statement was received from Shahidul Alam, coordinator of the finance management committee and supervising engineer of the company.

However, the chief engineer of public works informed that many people have contributed to the organization of the mourning day on their own initiative. He also admitted that there is no opportunity to cut the salary in this way according to the conventional rules. At the time, when asked about the 12-member finance management committee, he expressed a desire to give a detailed explanation later.