Voluntary retirement of Additional Secretary Zebunnecha with promotion
Senior Reporter / The Legal Voice 24 Media :
The government has sent the additional secretary of the health ministry, Kazi Zebunnecha, who came under discussion regarding the detention of journalist Rozina Islam in the secretariat, accusing her of ‘attempting to steal’ state secret documents.
On the order of the President, the notification signed by the Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, Sheikh Shamchul Arefin, was issued on March 16.
According to the notification, ‘Officer on Special Charge (Grade-1) of the Ministry of Public Administration, Kazi Zebunnecha Begum, has been dismissed from government service with effect from 18-03-2023 as per section 43(1)(a) of the Public Service Act, 2018 (Act No. 57 of 2018). Retirement is provided.’
It further states, ’01 (one) year post-retirement leave (PRL) from 19-03-2023 to 18-03-2024 with lump-sum equivalent to 18 (eighteen) months of basic pay has been granted in his favour. 03. He will be entitled to retirement and post-retirement leave benefits as per rules.
Incidentally, after noon on May 17, 2021, Prothom Alo’s investigative reporter Rozina Islam went to the Secretariat to the Ministry of Health to fulfill her professional duties. Ministry officials detained him in a room for 5 hours. Rozina was handed over to the Shahbag police station around 8:30 pm. Police took him to SLater, around 12:15 AM, a case was registered against him under the Official Secrets Act at the Shahbag police station, accusing him of ‘attempting to steal’ a state secret document. Shibbir Ahmed Osmani, the deputy secretary of the health care department of the Ministry of Health, is the plaintiff in the case.
Additional Secretary Zebunnecha was present when Rozina was detained. Apart from naming him as a ‘bully’, he was also posted on social media as ‘corrupt’.
Later he was removed by the government as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of the Ministry of Public Administration. Since then, various issues of abuse of power and illegal wealth started coming out about him through various channels.
Information about houses, cars, flats, land and bank money in the country and abroad started to come out in the name of Zebunnesha on social media. ACC also receives complaints from various media. It is said in the complaint that Jebunnesha has four houses in the capital, flats, 21 bigha land in Gazipur, three houses in Canada, and one house in London besides FDR worth Rs.100 crores.
On May 20, the Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Zahurul Haque told reporters that the ACC feels that the truth of these allegations should be investigated. ACC team will enter the field to investigate if the initial facts are found.hahbag police station around 9 pm.
