The government ordered the officials to stop traveling abroad to reduce the pressure on the foreign exchange reserves except for special needs but even after the issuance of this directive, their foreign travel have not stopped and they continue traveling abroad showing various reasons.
A circular issued by the Finance Department on May 12 said all types of foreign travel, including exposure visits, educational tours, APA and innovation-free travel and participation in workshops or seminars, will remain suspended until re-ordered in the context of the post-Corona economic recovery and the current global crisis. The order will be effective immediately.
But even after the issuance of this directive, government officials foreign travel have not stopped, every order related to foreign travel mentions that there is no financial involvement of the government in these trips.
Multiple officials told Bangladesh Pratidin, after the directive of the government, the issuance of GIO for foreign trips was stopped for a few days. Although the directive has not been withdrawn, the foreign travel is still going on as before.
The only difference is that earlier these visits were shown in government money or project money. Now it is being run in the name of others by different methods, they added.
A state minister is going to visit India on September 19 to participate in the 'Asian Summit on Education and Skills' conference. His Private Secretary (PS) will also be with him. They will return home after the conference on September 23. All expenses related to the conference of both of them will be borne by the organizing organization of the conference.
An official from the ministry told Bangladesh Pratidin, the state minister's foreign visit requires the approval of the prime minister. He has to go to represent the country. The expenses will be borne by the organizing body. After that, the state minister will return to the country after the physical examination at his own expense.
Likewise, a nine-member delegation led by two additional secretaries of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief is going to Germany on October 23 to participate in a study tour in support of the displaced Rohingyas. The team also includes officials from the Prime Minister's Office, ERD and Rohingya Cell. They will return home on October 30.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has issued a notification in this regard on September 11.
It said the organizing organization 'German Development Corporation' (GIZ) will bear all the expenses of the nine officials participating in the event.
Apart from this, four officials of the Local Government Engineering Department are going to Italy under the leadership of a Joint Secretary of the Local Government Division to participate in the 'Operation and Maintenance Training' from October 6 to 12.
In the order issued on Tuesday regarding this trip, it has been said that the related equipment supplier 'Ms. Sarkar Kabir Ahmed' will bear all the expenses of the trip to Italy.
In another order of the same ministry said, it has been informed that a delegation of six members of Sylhet City Corporation, led by another joint secretary of the local government department, is going to participate in "Operation and Maintenance Training" in America from September 26 to 29. Their expenses will be provided by the related equipment supplier company 'Bangla Tech Limited'.
These scenarios are not only seen in Disaster Management and Relief Ministries or Local Government Division, but most ministries and departments. Now the travel expenses of government officials are borne by various donor organizations or organizing authorities.
In another order issued by the Local Government Division on September 8, it is said that seven engineers of Dhaka Wasa are going to Sweden and Germany on a nine-day exposure visit from September 12 to 20.
All expenses of their visit will be borne by 'Hydro China Corporation'. The order mentions that there is no financial contribution from the government towards the cost of this visit, it said.
Another order issued by the Ministry of Labor and Employment on September 6 said that two officials of the Department of Factory and Establishment Inspection will visit Italy from October 10 to 21 to learn about the procedures for factory inspection. The international organization 'ILO-RMGP-2' will bear all the expenses of this trip.
An order issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism on September 9 said that 12 aviation officers of the Civil Aviation Authority are going to India on September 26 for 158 days of training in various subjects.
All expenses of their long training will be borne by the Government of India.
Those concerned said that such foreign travel is going on in most of the ministries and departments.
@The article appeared on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on September 14, 2022 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan.
