Moulvibazar Civil Surgeon Dr Md Mamunur Rahman has been made an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) and attached to the Ministry of Health following a directve from Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury.

The information was disclosed in a notification issued by the Ministry of Health on Monday, signed by its Joint Secretary Saiful Islam by order of the President.

In the same notification, Dr Md Zakir Hossain, Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer, was given additional charge as the new civil surgeon of Moulvibazar. 

The officials transferred and appointed through the notification have been asked to join their new workplaces by September 30.

Paban Chowdhury, senior information officer and public relations officer of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, confirmed the matter to Daily Waadaa.

Earlier on Sunday (September 27), Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury directed the authorities to remove Civil Surgeon Dr Mamunur Rahman during a meeting on law and order and development coordination at the conference room of the Moulvibazar deputy commissioner’s office.

According to local sources, the civil surgeon had faced allegations of negligence in duty, administrative lapses and various irregularities. During Sunday’s meeting, the expatriates’ welfare minister reportedly spoke to senior officials of the Ministry of Health and directed them to take immediate disciplinary action against the civil surgeon over the allegations. The ministry subsequently issued the notification making him an OSD.

Local and administrative sources said Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury attended Sunday’s coordination meeting on the district’s development and law-and-order situation. Civil Surgeon Dr Mamunur Rahman was absent from the meeting.

He had also been absent during the prime minister’s visit to Moulvibazar earlier.