Govt sacks RDCD Dy Secy Sharmin

The government has dismissed Begum Habiba Sharmin, deputy secretary (DS) of the Rural Development and Cooperative Division (RDCD), from service after she was found to have been absent without authorisation from her workplace and to have stayed abroad without permission.

The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification in this regard on Wednesday (October 7).
According to the notification, Habiba applied on December 8, 2021, for 365 days of extraordinary leave without pay, from December 18, 2021, to December 17, 2022, citing the need for advanced medical treatment. 

Although her application was forwarded to the Ministry of Public Administration, the leave was not approved. She, however, remained absent from her workplace after submitting the application. 

Later, the RDCD ordered her to join work on May 25, 2023. She did not comply with the order and instead emailed another application seeking extraordinary leave without pay from June 10 to September 4, 2023, stating that she was staying in the United States.

A departmental case was subsequently initiated against her under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018, on charges of misconduct and desertion for leaving the country without permission and remaining absent from work since December 9, 2021.