Public admin secy denies bribery allegations, calls news 'fake'

The Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, Mokhlesur Rahman, has dismissed a recent news report alleging bribery surrounding Deputy Commissioner appointments as "fake" and "baseless." 

The report, published in a vernacular daily, claimed that there were monetary transactions involved in the appointments.

Speaking to reporters at the ministry on Thursday (October 3), Mokhlesur rejected the accusations, stating that the allegations hold no merit. He also pointed out that the screenshots shared in the report, which were said to be evidence, showed messages from an iPhone, while he uses a Samsung phone.

The report claimed to expose a massive scam over reshuffle in civil administration, implicating Mokhlesur and two joint secretaries, Ziauddin Ahmed and Ali Azam. 

It suggested that sensitive WhatsApp conversations between the senior secretary and one of the joint secretaries revealed details about DC appointments and possible financial transactions. These screenshots, reportedly circulating within key state circles, have stirred concern within the administration.

The report also speculated that the appointments were intended to embarrass the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. 

Some have viewed the claims as part of a broader conspiracy against the Yunus-led administration.