'Dhaka Wasa MD must submit salary details'

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has upheld the High Court's order seeking a report on Dhaka Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan's salary, bonus and other benefits.

Chamber Judge Borhan Uddin passed the order on Tuesday in response to an appeal filed by the Dhaka Wasa MD challenging the HC order. 

Earlier on August 17, the HC ordered the authorities concerned to submit the detailed salary statement of Taqsem for the last 13 years.

Besides, the court had also issued a ruling asking why the government's inaction in removing the official should not be declared illegal, and proper steps should not be taken to remove him.

The Dhaka Wasa board chairman was supposed to submit the pay report within the next 60 days, as the defendants – local government secretary, Dhaka Wasa board, Wasa chairman and Wasa managing director – were to respond to the ruling within four weeks.

The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Kazi Mohammad Izarul Haque Akand passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB).

The court also wanted to know why the Wasa managing director's pay should not be ordered to be fixed as per the National Pay Scale-2015 until he is removed.

According to the Wasa Act, the managing director is the chief executive officer of the organisation.

Taqsem was first appointed to the post in 2009. Despite controversies and criticisms, his tenure has been extended six times. At present, he receives Tk6.25 lakh per month as salary and allowances.

In 2019, Taqsem A Khan rejected a Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report that suggested city residents have to burn gas worth Tk332.37 crore per annum in order to make the supplied water drinkable.

In 2021, the official travelled to the US and did office virtually for four months. But he took approval for three months. This year, he again applied for the US trip and virtual office work, which eventually got rejected.    

In the last 13 years since the ruling Awami League came to power in 2009, Dhaka WASA has increased water prices 14 times. Water price was hiked by 31% in the last two years despite the pandemic fallout.

But the Wasa managing director early this year said the gap between production cost and water price was huge. His organisation still had to pay Tk10 subsidy per 1,000 litres of water.

Recently, Dhaka Wasa declared Tk19 crore incentives to all of its officers and employees as "Performance Award". The announcement roped in the High Court as the court postponed the incentives for three months.