Govt orders 23 measures, committees to track officials facing corruption claims

The government has ordered every ministry and division to form internal committees to identify officials and employees facing corruption allegations across multiple workplaces and take appropriate action where the allegations are substantiated.

The directive was among 23 decisions taken at a meeting of secretaries held on September 15 at the Cabinet Division conference room, chaired by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani.

The decisions were later circulated in writing to the secretaries of all ministries and divisions.

The meeting also called for discouraging repeated overseas trips by the same officials and employees, while instructing ministries and divisions to strengthen their own anti-corruption measures.

To reduce electricity consumption, all ministries, divisions and their subordinate offices have been directed to install solar panels and take steps to prevent unnecessary power use. Progress reports on solar installation must be submitted to the Power Division every two months.

The government has also ordered the introduction of digital attendance systems at all government offices to ensure officials and employees report to work on time. The ICT Division will take steps to bring attendance data from ministries and divisions under a central dashboard.

Officials were instructed to ensure government offices remain clean and to establish a regular reporting chain from upazila offices to the Cabinet Division. Ministries and agencies were also told to fill vacant posts while identifying positions considered unnecessary or obsolete for possible abolition.

The meeting stressed that citizens seeking government services must not face harassment and directed ministries and divisions to update their organisational structures every three months.

Government employees who use others to lobby improperly on their behalf over employment-related matters will face departmental action under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018. Details of such lobbying are also to be recorded in their dossiers.

The secretaries were further instructed to settle official work through the D-Nothi system without unnecessary delays, resolve inter-governmental land and legal disputes through proper coordination, and avoid filing cases against other government offices where possible.

The meeting also directed ministries and divisions to strengthen oversight of project implementation and ensure compliance with government instructions on initiatives including canal excavation, family cards and farmer cards.

The progress of implementing the 23 decisions is to be closely monitored by the concerned ministries and divisions.