Md Nojibur Rahman, the new principal secretary to the prime minister, has said that he will perform his duties with devotion and looks forward to working with every ministry and department of government.
The official, who had served as the chairman of the National Board of Revenue and the senior secretary of the Internal Resources Division, shared his instant reactions after receiving his official appointment letter on Sunday.
“My responsibilities have expanded,” Rahman said. “When I worked to raise government revenues I was playing T20s. Now I will be playing Test matches.”
Rahman will succeed Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, whose term came to an end on Sunday.
His new position will put him on par with the cabinet secretary in civil service ranks.
According to bdnews 24, multiple sources in government had previously confirmed that the official, who had two years left of his term, would be appointed principal secretary. The Ministry of Public Administration announced the appointment on Sunday.
In Bangladesh’s warrant of precedence, the principal secretary is just below the cabinet secretary but above the chiefs of the army, navy and air force.
On Sunday morning, Rahman’s colleagues at the Internal Resources Division held a farewell event for him.
“I have been given these responsibilities by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of the Father of the Nation, because of my dedication to work,” he told bdnews24.com afterwards.
“I will be as devoted to the responsibilities of my new position.”
A 1982 BCS recruit, Rahman had helmed the forest and environment ministry and the planning ministry’s Statistics and Informatics Division prior to his job as the revenue chief.
He also headed the Department of Environment as the director general.
Born in 1960 in the northeastern district of Sunamganj, Rahman is set to go on post retirement leave from Dec 30, 2019.