Former bureaucrat and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s personal secretary, ABM Abdus Sattar, has ignited a wave of public and administrative debate after claiming he holds “conclusive proof” of limitless corruption by at least eight advisers of the current interim government.
Speaking at a seminar titled “Expectations from the July Uprising and the future of public administration” in Dhaka’s BIAM Auditorium on Friday, Sattar, a retired BCS administration cadre officer from the 1982 batch, alleged that without these advisers’ intervention, no major appointments or transfers take place.
“I can provide proof of their corruption to the intelligence agencies– they already have it. Yet, no action has been taken,” Sattar told the packed hall, drawing applause and shouts of “Correct!” from senior administration officers.
He cited examples, including one adviser’s APS (assistant personal secretary) allegedly holding Tk 200 crore in a bank account, and questioned whether inexperienced figures should be running crucial ministries like Health, Local Government, and Youth & Sports.
Although Sattar refrained from naming the eight advisers, his remarks have fueled intense speculation across political and bureaucratic circles, with calls from former senior officials like AKM Abdul Awal Majumdar for the government to identify them and take action.
The seminar, organised by the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association, was attended by top civil servants, academics, and families of those killed during the July uprising.
Discussions spanned the last 15 years of administrative politicisation, alleged misuse of public institutions, and the urgent need to keep civil service independent from partisan influence.
While the eight advisers remain unnamed, Sattar’s accusations have already pushed them into the centre of public discourse– with political insiders, media, and civil servants all asking the same question: Who are they?
