The Ministry of Public Administration has issued a nine-point directive for civil servants to prevent embarrassment over any issue following the recent political changeover in Bangladesh.
On October 28, Senior Secretary Md Mokhlesur Rahman sent a letter to the secretaries of all the ministries outlining specific guidelines for the civil servants in this regard.
“The government employees must carry out their duties with greater caution, considering the changed political landscape,” the letter reads. It cited recent media reports on field-level office activities that led to “an unintended, embarrassing situation.”
In his letter, Senior Secretary Md Mokhlesur Rahman suggested that secretaries implement these directives or add further instructions as needed for their departments.
The guidelines include collecting detailed information about the hosting organisation before accepting any invitations, especially to assess its reputation and activities.
To avoid any controversy, collect information on other invited guests and avoid events where controversial figures are supposed to attend.
Check invitation cards, banners, leaflets, flags, and any printed material for offensive or potentially controversial elements.
Seek support from law enforcement and intelligence agencies to ensure security at events.
Carefully review all in-house materials, such as invitations, banners, letters, presentations, and certificates, to ensure they contain no inappropriate or controversial content.
Stay vigilant to avoid celebrating days that the government has officially cancelled.
Arrange to remove all memorabilia, crests, photographs, or souvenirs associated with government-cancelled days from previous
years. Prepare written speeches for all official meetings and events, sticking to them to avoid slogans or impromptu statements.
Keep yourself and all colleagues in your jurisdiction away from any form of rumours.
The ministry’s letter called on secretaries to enforce these guidelines with diligence, urging civil servants to remain vigilant and exercise utmost awareness in politically sensitive times.
