Learning Without Limits or Logic

TDS Desk

Additional Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mir Khairul Alam will go abroad to participate in a training programme in the United States just 15 days before his retirement.

This perhaps reflects the proverb that there is no end to learning for a man of any age, but experts said the money spent for sending him abroad for training will be wasted as the expertise he would gain will not be possible for the government to utilise after his retirement within weeks.

Alongside the DNCC CEO, four other senior officials of the city corporation and Local Government Division (LGD) will take part in the training on operation and maintenance of ULV Turbine Mist Sprayer, which is used for mosquito control, but none of them will operate and maintain the machines on the ground.

Sources said DNCC CEO Mir Khairul Alam will go into retirement on 31 December this year, but he will visit the US on 16-20 December for getting trained to use the mosquito larvicide sprayer machines.

The DNCC has purchased five ULV Turbine Mist Sprayer (Heavy Duty Larviciding) machines for eliminating mosquito larvae at Tk7.19 crore under an open tender.

According to a DNCC nomination letter signed by CEO Mir Khairul Alam, five officials – Mir Khairul Alam himself, Chief Health Officer Brig Gen Imru-Al-Quais, Executive Engineer (Mechanical) Maksud Alam, Assistant Store, Purchase Officer Rahat Al Faysal and an official of LGRD Ministry – will visit the Buffalo Turbine office in the USA.

They will visit the turbine sprayer factory and take part in operation and maintenance training of mosquito control machines as per the condition set in the tender by DNCC.

Mohammedi Hardware Mart, supplier of the machines, will bear their travel costs.

Asked about the nomination of the trainee officials, DNCC Administrator Mahmudul Hasan said, “We will look into the issue of the CEO’s retirement. We nominated him to lead the team in the US. If there are any loopholes in selecting the team, we will reconsider it.”

He also said, “The officials will only not take part in the training programme; the team will visit the machine manufacturing factory. The CEO will have a talk with the factory authorities.”

Citizen rights activists and President of Bangladesh Institute of Planners Adil Mohammed Khan said, “These kinds of trips abroad are usually arranged for the entertainment of officials. The interim government should stop the practice in line with austerity practices.”

He also said, “In the name of training, an official is visiting the USA but how does his expertise benefit the state when he will retire within 10 days after returning to the country? The authorities that nominated him and other irrelevant officials for the training should be brought to book. This kind of programme, which is merely a waste of money, should be stopped.”