PMO informed of deputy minister’s ‘unruly behaviour’

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The Cabinet Division and the Prime Minister’s Office have been informed of deputy minister for youth and sports Arif Khan Joy’s ‘unruly behaviour’ with his ministry’s officials.
Arif Khan on Sunday allegedly ransacked the room of joint secretary Mashuk Mia at the ministry as he found his name missing in a banner put up at the national youth day programme at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium on the day, said officials.
‘It has not been discussed in the cabinet meeting…But I have been informed of the incident informally,’ cabinet secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said responding to a question at a briefing following the cabinet meeting at the Cabinet Division on Monday.
Asked for comments, youth and sports secretary Nur Mohammad said that he had already informed the principal secretary to the Prime Minister’s Offcie about the matter.
Officials alleged that the deputy minister had misbehaved with them on several occasions and they had informed the secretary and the state minister for the ministry about the matter, but got no redress.
Mashuk’s room was found under lock and key on Monday.
Got furious for not finding his name in the banner, Arif left the venue for the ministry halfway through the programme. He entered the room of Mashuk, responsible for organising the event, and broke the computer, threw away documents and telephone sets and kicked the table, officials and employees said.
The joint secretary was not in his room at the time as the ministry’s programme was in progress. The banner had the name of the state minister for youth and sports Biren Sikder only as the chief guest.
Mashuk was not available for comments.
Immediately after the incident, the former Bangladesh football team captain-turned deputy minister, however, denied the allegation.
When approached for comments, Arif told reporters that it was a misunderstanding.  He complained to the media that the ministry officials were not cooperating with him in discharging his responsibilities.
In the past fiscal year, the sports ministry had to return a bloc allocation of Tk 50 crore to the government exchequer reportedly because of a conflict between the state minister and the deputy minister, a senior official said.
The former football captain earlier made the headlines by walking into a playground in the city with a pistol in his hand in 2012.
Source: New Age