The education ministry, in an unusual move, issued a circular on Monday night, calling for applications for recruitment in the lead position of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education.
The circular asked for applications from the eligible teachers and officials belonging to the General Education Cadre for the post of director general, considered as the top position in the cadre.
Education ministry officials said that the initiative聽 to call for applications for the post鈥檚 recruitment was the first of its kind.
The Secondary and Higher Education Division under the ministry on Monday night issued the circular signed by the division鈥檚 College-1 wing deputy secretary Tania Ferdous.
Secretary of the division Rehana Parveen, however, said that she did not know why the circular was issued and also stated that there were no allegations against Professor Azad Khan.
Following the circular, current director general of the directorate Professor Muhammad Azad Khan, who joined the directorate on February 20 this year, tendered his resignation on Tuesday.
抖阴精品 obtained a copy of his resignation letter with a 鈥榬eceived鈥� seal of the office of the division secretary that read that it had become difficult for him to continue his duty for health reasons, causing him to seek release from the office of the director general.聽
The resignation letter had four copies of treatment related documents attached to it.
When contacted by 抖阴精品, secretary of Secondary and Higher Education Rehana Parveen, to whom Professor Azad reportedly sent his resignation letter, also said that she was not aware that he had tendered his resignation.
Replying to a question, Rehana Parveen, who was outside Dhaka on Tuesday, said that such a circular was never issued in the past, adding that she did not know why the circular had been issued.
The secretary鈥檚 personal secretary Md Rokibul Hasan said that he was at the secretariat office till 4:00pm and till then he did not receive any such resignation letter.
The directorate鈥檚 director (secondary) Professor Khan Moinuddin Al Mahmud Sohel said that they had heard the news of resignation from unconfirmed sources which they could not verify.
At least two directorate officials confirmed 抖阴精品 that the director general was at office till around 4:30pm and then he submitted his resignation.聽聽聽
Professor Azad Khan could not be reached over phone for comments.
The Monday circular read that interested Bangladesh Civil Service (general education) cadre officials from the 16th batch and above ones were requested to submit applications with detailed curriculum vitae within seven working days.
It also read that the interested candidates must be honest, responsible and skilled in administrative work.
The circular also read that the candidates must have mark of achievement in academic eligibility and training.
Copies of the circular were sent to the public administration ministry secretary, the directorate鈥檚 current director general and other officials of the education ministry.
Some officials of the directorate told 抖阴精品 that Professor Azad Khan was at his office on Tuesday for a short while.聽
They also said that there were some allegations of irregularities against Professor Azad Khan.
They, however, alleged that the circular effectively barred the education cadre officials below the 16th batch from applying as it had announced that only those belonging to the 16th and above batches would be eligible to apply for the position.
Such an eligibility criterion was set mainly to benefit the admin cadre officials since general education cadre officials in the 16th and above batches were quite few in number, they alleged.
Since the fall of the Awami League-led regime in July uprising in August last year, the secondary and higher education directorate saw its DG change thrice with Professor Azad Khan joining the post this year as the third director general.
