Govt sacks 'runaway' aide to former education minister

The government has dismissed Manmath Ranjan Baroi, an aide to former education minister Nurul Islam Nahid, for failing to report to work for over two years and misconduct.

In a notice issued on Tuesday, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education said Manmath, an officer of the BCS general education cadre, has been absent from work since Apr 12, 2020 without any explanation.

Baroi, who served as Nahid's assistant private secretary for eight years, was removed from the post amid allegations of corruption. Rumours abound that he left for the United States afterwards.

He was sent a show-cause notice after a departmental complaint, charging him with 'misconduct' and 'absconding from work', was lodged. But Baroi failed to respond to the notice, prompting an inquiry into the allegations.

After the charges against him were proved, a second notice was issued but that, too, went unanswered, with the post office reporting that he was 'not in the country'.

As a result, the authorities decided to dismiss him as punishment, with the backing of the Public Service Commission and the president, according to the notice.