Ex-bureaucrats move to form a pro-govt think tank

Some 42 former top civil servants have decided to form a think tank to assist the government in formulating and implementing various policies.

It will be a non-political and service-oriented research organisation devoted to the welfare of the country, said former senior secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon.

The decision was made during a meeting at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Monday. Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman and former secretary Iqbal Mahmud convened the meeting by inviting the participants.

The retired officials agreed to form the platform with the belief that they, with their experience and knowledge, can serve the country.

Ali Imam Majumder, a former cabinet secretary, however, raised question over the incumbent ACC Chairman convening such a meeting.

Inviting people holding a constitutional post is unethical, he said.

He also said such initiative just before the Dhaka city elections might send wrong messages.

“Anyone can form an organisation and it’s his/her right. But organisers should think about the acceptability and universality before forming such an organisation,” the former cabinet secretary told The Daily Star, adding that the organisers should have invited all former secretaries before undertaking the initiative.

Shailendranath Majumder, a former secretary, presided over the meeting where a 15-member convening committee was formed to discuss how the organisation would be formed.

Besides, another five-member sub-committee, led by former principal secretary to the prime minister Abul Kalam Azad, was formed to prepare a draft constitution for the organisation.

Former education secretary Sohrab Hossain told The Daily Star that the retried secretaries actually gathered for a reunion.

He said that they could not invite all the former secretaries in the meeting as that they did not know the whereabouts of everyone.