The government has transferred deputy secretary Salahuddin Ahmed from the Chattogram Port Authority and attached him to the Ministry of Public Administration, weeks after a Daily Waadaa investigation linked him to an alleged 70 crore taka deal to secure the post of Chattogram deputy commissioner.
The Ministry of Public Administration issued the transfer order on Tuesday, September 8. The order, signed by Deputy Secretary Md Matiur Rahman, said Salahuddin would serve as a deputy secretary attached to the ministry until further notice.
The circular did not state a reason for the transfer.
Daily Waadaa on August 12 published an investigation titled “What does it cost to become DC of Chattogram? Only 70 crore taka!”, based on contracts, bank cheques and private communications that allegedly documented Salahuddin’s efforts to secure the Chattogram DC posting.
The documents reviewed by Waadaa included an agreement dated July 16 bearing Salahuddin’s purported signature that referred to 70 crore taka in connection with securing the DC post. Under the purported agreement, he would repay 140 crore taka within 18 months “through work” if he obtained the posting.
The investigation also uncovered 12 cheques from Sonali Bank and City Bank with a combined face value of 16.5 crore taka, allegedly provided as financial security in connection with efforts to secure government postings.
The documents did not establish that the proposed appointments were actually purchased or that money represented by the cheques changed hands, and some of the claims could not be independently verified.
Salahuddin, an officer of the 28th batch of the administration cadre, initially denied the allegations to Waadaa. He said his phone had been hacked and that his cheques and identity documents had been lost. He acknowledged, however, that he had not filed a police complaint over those incidents.
The investigation also documented an earlier financial arrangement preceding his transfer to the Chattogram Port Authority.
On November 24, 2025, while serving as a deputy secretary at the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, Salahuddin allegedly signed an agreement describing a 4 crore taka loan and provided two 2 crore taka City Bank cheques as security.
Less than a month later, on December 17, the Public Administration Ministry transferred him to the Chattogram Port Authority as a director. He joined on December 23, but as no director's post was vacant, he was subsequently posted as Controller of Stores on January 8.
Chattogram Port Authority later formed an inquiry committee. Port Authority Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim confirmed the investigation to Waadaa, saying further action would be decided after the committee submitted its report.
Tuesday's government order now removes Salahuddin from the Port Authority and brings him back under the Public Administration Ministry as an attached officer.
--