Joint Secretary Stand Released from Post

The government has taken action against Joint Secretary AKM Anisur Rahman following the death of 75-year-old Nurjahan Begum in a Mirpur flat in the capital, citing allegations of negligence toward his mother. The Ministry of Public Administration confirmed the decision in a gazette notification on Wednesday.

Earlier, State Minister Md. Abdul Bari had indicated that action would be taken against him under the Maintenance of Parents Act over alleged neglect of his mother. He has now been stand released from his post and attached to the Ministry of Public Administration. He had been serving as Member (Engineering and Development) of Mongla Port Authority.

Police recovered the body of Nurjahan Begum on May 31 after receiving a call through the national emergency hotline 999.

Officer-in-Charge of Pallabi Police Station Hasan Basir said at the time that Nurjahan Begum lived in the same apartment as her daughter but stayed in a separate room. After receiving no response for several days, her daughter called a nurse on Sunday. The nurse later found the elderly woman dead in the room and informed the police.

Allegations had surfaced that the elderly woman had been deprived of proper care and attention for a long period.

Nurjahan Begum’s other son, Ashikur Rahman, is a teacher in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at BUET. Her daughter, Fatima Nasrin Sultana, teaches at an English medium school in Dhaka.