M.R Amin, Chattogram

A prolonged shortage of qualified and experienced officials in key administrative positions at the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) is negatively affecting its overall operations.

Many offices are being run through additional assignments instead of regular appointments, resulting in delays in decision-making, slow implementation of development projects, and growing concerns over the quality of civic services.

According to sources, several key positions in the approved organizational structure (organogram) have remained vacant for a long time, creating significant administrative pressure. Instead of making regular appointments, the corporation has been assigning additional responsibilities to existing officials. As a result, a single officer is often required to perform multiple important duties, adversely affecting administrative efficiency, service delivery, and the speed of decision-making.
Several CCC officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that unless the vacant posts are filled with qualified personnel, the quality of civic services is likely to deteriorate further. They noted that it is impossible to effectively manage the services of a large metropolitan city without adequate skilled manpower.
Recently, CCC Secretary Ashraful Amin assigned additional responsibilities to six Sub-Assistant Engineers under the guise of promotion. All of them hold diploma engineering degrees.

Besides , on June 14, Assistant Engineer (Civil) Zahidur Rashid Bhuiyan, who ranked ninth in the seniority list, was given the additional charge of Executive Engineer, bypassing eight senior officers. The decision has triggered widespread dissatisfaction within the corporation's engineering department, with allegations that the secretary violated the approved organogram.

The service-oriented institution is now heavily burdened by additional assignments. The same individual is serving as both the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Secretary.

Although the organogram provides for four Superintending Engineer posts, six positions have effectively been assigned, with only one regular Superintending Engineer currently in place while the remaining responsibilities are being carried out on an additional-charge basis. Likewise, of the 11 sanctioned Executive Engineer posts, only one is filled on a regular basis, while the remaining ten are being handled by Assistant Engineers through additional assignments.

Although the post of Chief Engineer has recently been filled through deputation, the position of Additional Chief Engineer has remained vacant for the past seven years. Sources allege that excessive reliance on additional assignments has increased opportunities for irregularities. They also claim that a vested syndicate is deliberately creating an officer shortage within the corporation to secure special advantages. Consequently, civic services are being severely disrupted, causing significant suffering for city residents.

Sources said that the Chief Executive Officer is the principal administrative official of the corporation and ranks immediately after the Mayor. Since the transfer of Sheikh Mohammad Touhidul Islam from the CEO position on November 17 last year amid various controversies, no new CEO has been appointed. As a result, Secretary Ashraful Amin has been serving as Acting CEO in addition to his regular responsibilities.

The post of Additional Chief Engineer has remained vacant for seven years due to the absence of a suitable officer. Since its creation in 2018, no appointment has been made to the position.

Former Chief Engineer Rafiqul Islam retired on March 19, 2024. The position is now being held on deputation by Chief Engineer Md. Anisur Rahman Sohel, although the legality of the appointment has been widely debated within relevant circles.

Under the approved organogram, CCC has four sanctioned Superintending Engineer posts—two for Civil, one for Electrical, and one for Mechanical. However, four officers have been appointed to civil superintending positions, while the Electrical and Mechanical divisions are being managed through additional assignments. In some cases, full responsibilities have reportedly been assigned where no sanctioned post exists.

Following the recent transfer of Shaheen Ul Islam Chowdhury by the ministry, Md. Farhadul Alam remains the only regularly promoted Superintending Engineer. In addition to supervising Civil Zone-2, he is also serving as the head of the Electrical Division on an additional-charge basis. Previously, Shaheen Ul Islam oversaw Civil Zones 1 and 3 along with the Mechanical Division. Executive Engineer and Project Director of the "2,500 Project," Jasim Uddin, is currently serving as Acting Superintending Engineer for Zones 4 and 6, while another promoted Executive Engineer (Planning and Development), Abu Sadat Md. Tayeb, is additionally overseeing Zone-5.

Of the corporation's 11 Executive Engineer posts, ten are currently being operated through additional assignments. Abu Sadat Md. Tayeb is the only regularly promoted Executive Engineer, serving in the Planning and Development Department. The recent transfer of Farzana Mukta, one of the most senior officers among those holding additional charges, has further intensified the manpower shortage.

Sources further stated that although the organogram provides for 14 Assistant Engineer posts, 21 officers from the rank of Sub-Assistant Engineer have been assigned to those positions on an additional-charge basis. Some of them are also performing the duties of Executive Engineers. Service seekers allege that such arrangements have contributed to administrative irregularities.
Several complainants alleged that some responsible officials deliberately delay or withhold file approvals unless unofficial commissions are paid. They further claimed that files are often processed quickly once payments are made, and in some cases, unethical requests are allegedly accommodated without regard to rules and regulations. These allegations have raised serious concerns regarding transparency and accountability.

Before Dr. Shahadat Hossain assumed office as Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation, all 41 wards of the city had already been without elected councillors. Since taking office, the Mayor has reportedly been struggling to manage the entire city single-handedly while working tirelessly to transform Chattogram into a modern "Clean City, Green City."
Responding to allegations of violating the organogram, CCC Secretary Ashraful Amin said, "It is not possible to run the City Corporation by strictly following the organogram. Due to the expansion of work, additional responsibilities have been assigned to various officials out of administrative necessity."

Chief Engineer Md. Anisur Rahman Sohel said, "It is true that we have a shortage of engineers, but it is also true that we are continuing our work. We are working to expand the Chattogram City Corporation from six zones to eight zones, and we are preparing a proposal to increase the number of engineering personnel. The proposal will be submitted very soon."