Mu. Reza Hasan appointed as new Sylhet Deputy Commissioner following predecessors withdrawal

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The Ministry of Public Administration has appointed Mu. Reza Hasan as the new Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet, one week after the sudden withdrawal of his predecessor, Sarwar Alam. Hasan, who currently serves as the Deputy Commissioner of Cumilla, was formally appointed through a gazette notification signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Md. Ismail Hossain on Sunday.

The transition follows the June 21 removal of Sarwar Alam, who was reassigned to the Ministry of Public Administration as a deputy secretary. While the initial order did not specify the reasons for his withdrawal, administrative and political sources suggest the move followed intensifying scrutiny surrounding his management of the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) and Hazrat Shahparan (RA).

Controversy emerged after Alam visited the historic shrines on June 12 and announced plans to impose greater transparency and oversight on their financial management. On June 18, his office sealed the existing donation boxes and the three historic cauldrons traditionally used for offerings, replacing them with new containers under administrative control. This intervention sparked a sharp divide in public opinion, with supporters praising the push for accountability while critics and local stakeholders expressed frustration over the state’s intrusion into the shrines’ long-standing traditions.

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Government officials have characterized the leadership change as a “routine administrative adjustment,” despite the timing coinciding with the public backlash. Alam had been appointed to the Sylhet post on August 18 of last year, a period marked by significant administrative turnover following public outcry regarding the illicit extraction of stones from the region’s iconic Sadapathar area. Prior to his tenure in Sylhet, Alam served as the private secretary to Asif Nazrul, the Adviser to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.