'Fraud' secretary on PM’s entourage for US visit

Health secretary M Niaz Uddin Miah, who got hold of a fake freedom-fighter certificate to extend service tenure, has gone to the United States as a member of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's entourage.

The prime minister left for New York on Sunday night to attend the 69th United Nations General Assembly.

Her entourage boasting more than 150 members includes several ministers, advisers, businessmen, journalists and other government officials.

The Anti Corruption Commission recently found out that Niaz Miah, three other secretaries and a joint secretary had obtained fake freedom-fighter certificates to extend their service tenure by a year.

After that, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs decided to cancel their certificates and relevant gazettes.

But the Ministry of Public Administration is dragging its feet on any action even a week after it was announced that the senior bureaucrats with fake freedom-fighter certificates will face tough measures.

State Minister for Public Administration Ismat Ara Sadek earlier said whether administrative actions against them would follow was something to be considered.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Muzammel Hoque, though, said the public administration ministry had been asked to take action, and his ministry would file cases against these five officials if they did not.

Apart from Niaz, the four others are Public Service Commission Secretary AKM Amir Hossain, former PMO Secretary Molla Waheeduzzaman, now chairman of the Privatization Commission, former Liberation War Affairs Secretary KH Masud Siddique, currently OSD (officer on special duty), and the same ministry's Joint Secretary Abul Kasem Talukder, also an OSD now.