Indias Closed Doors Push Trainees to Pakistan
Photo Collected
Twelve senior Bangladeshi government officials are currently undergoing training in Lahore, Pakistan, marking the first time high-ranking officials have been sent to the country for such programs. The leadership and skill development initiative, which began on May 4 and concludes on May 21, includes one additional secretary and eleven joint secretaries.
This shift comes after India, previously the primary destination for Bangladeshi government officials’ overseas training, ceased offering programs due to diplomatic complexities following a change in government in Bangladesh. For nearly a decade, India, particularly the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, was the principal venue for such professional development.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The training in Pakistan is fully funded by the Pakistani government, covering travel, accommodation, and program costs, with no financial involvement from Bangladesh. Officials participating in the program are required to submit a report to the Ministry of Public Administration within five working days of their return.
The long-standing training relationship between Bangladesh and India began in 2014 through a memorandum of understanding between Bangladesh’s Ministry of Public Administration and India’s National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) in Delhi. This was followed by a renewed agreement in 2019, with a further pact signed in April 2024, initially intended to extend to 2030. However, diplomatic tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi after the August 5, 2024, political transition led to the suspension of these training programs.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Previous training in India focused on understanding the Indian governance system, infrastructure development, and local administration, often including field visits. An estimated three thousand Bangladeshi officials, primarily from the field administration, including deputy district magistrates, upazila executive officers, and assistant commissioners, had participated in these programs over the years.
Officials who have undergone training in India noted its importance for bilateral cooperation, administrative experience exchange, and leadership development, emphasizing the need to maintain balanced relationships with both India and Pakistan given the geopolitical realities of South Asia.
Sources within the Ministry of Public Administration indicated that Pakistan had repeatedly extended invitations for training at its Civil Service Academy in Lahore, which were not acted upon during the previous administration in Bangladesh. The matter was revived during a visit by the then-home secretary, now cabinet secretary, Nasimul Ghani, to Pakistan, where Bangladesh responded positively to the training proposal. The formal invitation was extended by the Pakistani government through its foreign ministry after the formation of the current government, paving the way for the current delegation.
This initiative in Pakistan represents the first official delegation visit for administrative capacity building under an ‘Administrative Capacity Development Program’ and is part of Bangladesh’s broader effort to enhance training and capacity-building cooperation with various countries, though no formal agreement with Pakistan has yet been finalized.
Public administration analysts suggest that sending officials to Pakistan carries diplomatic implications within the South Asian political landscape and advocate for diversifying training destinations beyond a single country to foster broader engagement.
The delegation in Pakistan includes Additional Secretary Salma Siddika Mohtab (Health Services Division), Joint Secretary Mohammad Mostafa Jamal Haider (Commerce Ministry), Joint Secretary Md. Abu Raihan Mian (Ministry of Public Administration), Joint Secretaries Md. Toufiq Imam and Md. Rayhan Akhter (Ministry of Public Administration), Joint Secretary Muhammad Abdus Salam, Joint Secretaries Md. Firoz Ahmed and Muhammad Monirul Islam (Cabinet Division), Joint Secretary A.F.M. Ehteshamul Haque (Ministry of Home Affairs), Joint Secretary Mohammad Shamsul Haque (Local Government Division), Joint Secretary Md. Zillur Rahman (Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief), and Joint Secretary Zia Ahmed Sumon (BCS Administration Academy).
Md. Monirul Islam, Additional Secretary of the Career Planning and Training Wing (CPT) at the Ministry of Public Administration, confirmed the training was at Pakistan’s invitation, reiterating the absence of a formal agreement.
Meanwhile, India has extended a new invitation for mid-level officials to participate in various training courses under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program, signaling a potential thaw in bilateral relations. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a circular on May 3 calling for applications for these courses.
However, a Ministry of Public Administration official, speaking anonymously, noted that the new Indian proposal is a general offer to officials from various countries, not exclusively Bangladesh, which may limit the number of Bangladeshi participants and impose stricter conditions. Despite these challenges, the renewed training offer from India is considered a positive development.
A.K.M. Abdul Awal Majumder, former Rector of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) and former secretary, stressed the importance of training in both India and Pakistan for fostering good neighborly relations, citing shared educational, cultural, and administrative contexts. He also recommended renewing any expired agreements with India and highlighted the need for evaluating the practical contributions of officials returning from overseas training, given the generally higher standards of civil services in both India and Pakistan.
0%
0%
0%
0%
