BNP leader appointed Ctg Wasa chairman allegedly by violating rule

The government has appointed BNP leader Md Idris Mia as chairman of the Chattogram Wasa board for three years, despite a provision stating that the chairman must be appointed from among the board members.

A gazette notification was issued yesterday (17 September) appointing him under Section 7(1) of the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Amendment) Act, 2026.

However, Section 7(1) of the Act states that the board shall have a chairman appointed by the government from among its members.

Asked about the appointment, Abu Rafe Mohammad Arif, joint secretary of the Local Government Division’s Water Supply Wing, told TBS, “The government can appoint anyone if it wants. The appointment was made in accordance with the law. I am also new to this responsibility. I can give details after reviewing the documents on Sunday.”

The Chattogram Wasa currently has a 10-member body assisting with its operations. The Local Government Division formed the committee on 22 March 2025, with a joint secretary-level representative as convenor and the Wasa secretary as member secretary.

The committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Public Administration, Finance Division, Ministry of Water Resources, Health Services Division and the Department of Public Health Engineering. It also has a student representative, a water users’ representative, and the Wasa managing director as an ex-officio member.

The committee was formed under Section 42A(2) of the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024 to support Chattogram Wasa’s operations. Under Sections 42A(2) and (3), its members exercise all powers of the board.

The ordinance was later converted into law after parliament approved it on 10 April this year.

Despite having board members, questions have arisen over the appointment of a chairman from outside the board.

Officials concerned did not respond to repeated phone calls seeking comments on the issue.

Idris Mia is convenor of the 54-member committee of Chattogram South district BNP. He previously served as chairman of the Patiya upazila parishad.

Section 6 of the 2026 law provides for a board comprising government-nominated representatives and members from chambers of commerce, city corporations and professional organisations, among others.

Under Section 7(1), the government is to appoint the chairman from among these members.