Deputy Minister for Sports Arif Khan Joy vandalises joint secretary’s room

An angry Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy has gone berserk, smashing fixtures in a joint secretary’s chamber, ministry officials have said.

Shahidul Islambdnews24.com
Published : 1 Nov 2015, 08:05 PM
Updated : 1 Nov 2015, 08:09 PM

The former captain of the Bangladesh football team had lost his temper because his name did not appear in a banner put up at the National Youth Day programme, said the officials.

Joy, however, denied having vandalised the joint secretary’s room; instead, he said, he had summoned the official to his own chamber to give him a dressing down.

The secretary to the ministry described the incident as “shameful”.

Some of the ministry officials told bdnews24.com the joint secretary was not in his chamber - Room No. 501 in the seventh building of the Secretariat - when the minister vandalised it. 

The officials said the National Sports Day banner hung up at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium on Sunday only had the name of State Minister for Youth and Sports Biren Sikder.

Joy expressed his displeasure at not finding his name. Officials pleaded with him to stay on, when he got up to leave the auditorium.

He, however, left for the Secretariat after conveying his greetings to the gathering. 

An official requesting anonymity said Joy yelled immediately after stepping out of the lift. He even loudly abused some of the officials.

“He went to the room of Joint Secretary Mashuk Mia, broke the computer, threw down documents, and kicked the table.”

Attempts by bdnews24.com to get Mashuk Mia’s reaction proved futile.

In the evening, Joy skirted the issue of vandalism and told bdnews24.com: “I summoned him (Mia) to my chamber and rebuked him. He had disregarded the rules of business.”

When asked when Mia had been reprimanded, Joy said: “Last Thursday. A few joint secretaries, including Mia, are not helping me in my work. No one in the ministry helps me. All are corrupt.”

He claimed some people had broken Mashuk Mia’s computer and were spreading rumours to taint his image.

Besides Mia, he accused joint secretaries Mir Khurshid Anwar and Monjurul Quader of not cooperating with him.

The minister alleged bribes were paid for the appointment and transfer of officials in the organisations and departments under the ministry.

He also alleged that as per rule, every file must come to him but many never did.

When Khurshid Anwar was quizzed on the matter, he said: “Is there any scope of not cooperating with the deputy minister?”

He refused to say anything more.

Monjurul Quader declined comment. He said the secretary to the ministry should be contacted.

Sports Secretary Nur Mohammad told bdnews24.com on Sunday: “A thing like this had not ever happened in the Secretariat. It’s very shameful.”

The secretary said he had spoken to Mashuk Mia after the incident. “If one is insulted in this manner even after having worked for 25-30 years... It’s my duty to protect them. I sympathised with him and sent him home.”

Nur Mohammad denied the deputy minister’s allegation of being ignored. “Let him give one instance of files not being sent to him.”

Star footballer Joy had earlier stirred a controversy in 20012 by walking into the field with a gun in his pocket.

He was nominated by the Awami League on the last general election was made a deputy minister.