Staff Reporter :The authorities of Petrobangla have allegedly appointed managing directors (MDs) of its subsidiaries ignoring seniority, sources said The officials of the Petrobangla, the state-run oil and gas exploration company, have blamed the immediate past Chairman Dr Hossain Mansur for the irregularity.They said that the appointment of juniors as MDs has created a chaotic situation and huge discontent among the officials and employees in the state run entity. A senior Petrobangla official wishing anonymity told The New Nation yesterday that the Petrobangla usually selects a panel comprising its senior officials to promote them as MDs of its subsidiaries. “But our immediate past Chairman did not follow the process and just appointed some junior officials as MDs there”. Giving an example, he said, MDs of Sundarban Gas Company and Titas Gas Transmission Company– Khalekuzzaman Ratan and Engineer Nawshad Islam respectively– had been appointed MDs superseding many seniors, he added. Energy Secretary Abu Bakar Siddique told The New Nation, “As far I know the Petrobangla appoints senior officials as MD. The ministry will look into the matter about the allegation.”Meanwhile, Titas Gas Sramik Karmachari Songram Parished (TGSKSP) demanded removal of its MD Engineer Nawshad Islam. Saiful Islam, Member Secretary of the TGSKSP, said, Engineer Nawshad Islam was appointed violating seniority. He also said that the present MD has created a chaotic environment in the company leading gas crisis all over the country. Saiful also alleged that the high-ups of Titas also gave a number of gas connection illegally in different parts of the country.He also said that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) also found that the authorities of Titas have provided gas connections to about 500 companies violating rules and taking bribes while probing graft allegation against top Petrobangla officials. “The ACC unearthed that about 15 top officials of Titas managed Tk 2.0 crore in bribe from each of the companies by providing them gas connections”. Engineer M Nowshad Islam was among the officials who were interrogated during the probe into the graft allegation.
