The High Court has issued a contempt of court rule against three government high officials, including the Secretary of the Public Administration Ministry, for not complying with its directive over recruitment of 19 drivers in the UNO offices of different upazilas and issuing a new recruitment circular.
The HC bench of Justice JBM Hasan and Justice Rajik Al Jalil issued the contempt rule on Sunday (November 7) following a petition.
The HC bench issued the contempt of court rule against Senior Secretary of the Public Administration Ministry KM Ali Azam, Transport Commissioner of Department of Government Transport (additional secretary) Md Mizanur Rahman, and Director Mohammad Mahbub Shaheen.
The higher court has also issued a ruling, postponing the recruitment circular issued by the Department of Government Transport for recruiting 466 drivers for two months. The three government officials were asked to respond to the rule.
Advocate Abdus Sattar Paloyan took part in the hearing in the court on behalf of the petition, while Deputy Attorney General Kalipada Mridha represented the state.
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Lawyer Abdus Sattar Paloyan said that two recruitment notices were issued in August and September 2012 for recruiting Transport Pool drivers without giving jobs to the drivers who were appointed in the master role in various UNO offices of the country. Challenging its validity, a total of 21 drivers working in the master role in the offices of various Upazila Nirbahi Officers filed the writ petition in the High Court that year.
The High Court on September 17 in 2015 issued a rule, declaring two notifications illegal. The HC in the verdict also directed the authorities concerned to give permanent appointments to the 21 drivers within 30 days. Two of the drivers have already died.
Later, the state filed an appeal petition, challenging the High Court’s order. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court rejected the appeal on January 6 in 2019.
Abdus Sattar Paloyan further said that the Department of Government Transport issued a notification on January 8 this year to recruit 466 drivers, defying the High Court’s order and Appellate Division. Then the drivers filed a contempt of court petition in the High Court. At the hearing of the petition, the High Court suspended the appointment of 466 drivers.