A career bureaucrat (Bengali: মোহাম্মদ শামসুল আলম) from Bangladesh
who underscore the unprecedented career-track world record in
performing private secretarial job with Bangladesh Prime Minister for
consecutive 15 years. A column writer and a researcher at the
same time, he works on public administration and governance issues in
Bangladesh.
Early life and Education
A graduate of Dhaka University Alam received his Master of Arts (postgraduate) in Philosophy and Masters of Business Administration from Daffodil International University.
The second oldest of six children of Dr. Md. Yousuf Ali, a physician and mother Begum Azufa Khatun, recipient of Ratnagarva Ma Award, Alam was born to a Muslim family in the village of Dasherjangal in Gosairhat Upazila under Shariatpur District of Bangladesh. His early childhood was spent in the village of Dasherjangal and started elementary schooling in Dasherjangal Government Primary School of Gosairhat and completed S.S.C. in 1st division from Idilpur Pilot High School. Then moved to the city of Chandpur and passed the H.S.C. in 1st division from Chandpur Government College. Later studied at famous Jagannath Government College, and finally enrolled in the department of Philosophy at Dhaka University and then Daffodil International University. Received Masters of Arts in Philosophy from Dhaka University and Masters of Business Administration from Daffodil International University, also a MCP.
Alam married to Major Khadiza Anam (now retired), was protocol
officer to Bangladesh Prime Minister during 2002-06. They are blessed
with two children Subah (13) and Shaffin (9).
Career
Towards the end of 90s, Alam joined the BCS (Administration) Cadre as a fast-track career civil servant after succeeded in securing merit position in Bangladesh Civil Service Gazetted officers’ list through an open competitive examination held in 1988. He worked in the Prime Minister’s Office and was in charge of protocol affairs of Prime Minister and later private secretarial job with Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia from 1992 to 2006. For a short time he also worked for the Economic Relation Division, Ministry of Finance and Bangladesh Institute of Administration & Management (BIAM) in the capacity of Deputy Project Director. Before joining to civil service Shamsul has had his experience of working as Bangladesh Krishi Bank officer. He is currently a Deputy Secretary of the Government People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
Areas of Expertise
- As a civil servant areas of expertise is public administration job design,
- Public policy formulation,
- Special expertise to design and coordination of schedule and program management of the head of government,
- Protocol design for national and International dignitaries,
- Human resource planning,
- Good governance,
- Political systems of Bangladesh,
- Received many specialized professional training including civil services foundation training from Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center and secretarial training from Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy, Dhaka
- Education systems in Australia.
Publications
Alam has published his articles in international journal:
• SMEs in Bangladesh and Their Financing: An Analysis and Some Recommendations (2006), The Cost and Management Journal, Vol.34 No.3, May-June 2006, pp 57-72.
• Bangladesh’s Budget 2006-07 and Poverty Alleviation: The Strategic Mapping and Challenges for the Government (2006), The Cost and Management Journal, Vol.34 No.4, July-August 2006, pp 44-58.
• Other publications are related to his outstanding write up in
numerous newspapers & magazines. He is well known as columnist and
researcher with special attention to governance crisis and political
downturn during democratic era of Bangladesh. His articles were
published in Daily Naya Diganta, Akhon Samoy, Thikana, Bangla Patrika,
Probashi Voice and Probashi barta of New York and Surma of London.
Conference and seminars
- Attended as member of Bangladesh official delegation to Commonwealth Summit in Cyprus, 1994.
- Attended as member of Bangladesh delegation to The World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, March 1995, Denmark.
- Attended OIC Summit as Bangladesh Government Official delegation, Morocco in 1995 and Malaysia in 2006.
- Attended as member of Bangladesh delegation to SAARC Summit, India 1995, Nepal 2002 and Bangladesh 2005.
- Participated as a member of Bangladesh delegation to the United Nations Special General Assembly on Children, New York, 2002.
- Attended as member of Bangladesh Government official delegation to NAM Conference, Indonesia 2004.
- Attended workshop to observe the status of Primary Education Develops in Australia, Canberra 2003.
Association activities
• He is a Registered Graduate of Dhaka University. • During 2004-06
Alam contributed for the prospect and enhancement of Civil services as
an elected Joint Secretary of BCS (Administration) Services
Association, a service organization of 4500 civil servants where he
also a life member• He has performed prestigious job of the member recruitment of
Officers' Club during 2004-6 where he is permanent member. • He also
served as chair of the Ninth BCS Forum 2004-06. • During early age
formed Royal Sporting Club in Gosairhat as founder secretary during
1984-85 which played significant role in sports and cultural field and
also relief works.
Social Works
Alam is prominent in his locality for massive infrastructural
expansion of Gosairhat. He organizes funds and projects to provide
appropriate support for the development of the underdeveloped region,
also helped local government to prepare new projects. Prior to 1995
where there were no pucca road in Gosairhat Upazila, during the last
decade 200 miles metallic roads and bridges were made including road
connection with capital city in his initiative. Other infrastructural
developments were extended hospital facilities, new telephone exchange,
development of 5 bazaars, 7 growth centers, embankments and orphanage,
constructed many school buildings, installed hundreds of deep tube
wells for purified water and expansion of rural electrification. At
present Gosairhat is one of the developed upazilas of Bangladesh.
Moreover, he also helped in development of different areas like
Damudya, Bhedarganj, Muladi, Shariatpur, Natore and Narail District.
Foreign visits
Widely traveled the world includes Australia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Brunei, China, Cyprus, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Japan, Morocco, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam, and performed holy Hajj Umrah several times.
Controversies
Being a young farsighted civil servant he addressed many challenges during his career. One of the remarkable issue he challenged is to point out the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, as a black sheep in the Prime Minister’s Office who subsequently embarrassed Begum Khaleda Zia’s government through controversial activities and interview to Bangladeshi daily Janakantha newspaper. Some influential corners tried to ousted Alam from personnel team of Khaleda Zia but they failed and made propaganda against him which subsequently nullified by an investigation. Owing to his sincerity, integrity and trust worthiness, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia select him in her own office personnel team from 1992 to 2006.