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No end in sight to govt flip-flop

Posted by methun

The government circular reminding public servants that they cannot make any speculative investment was withdrawn about two hours after it was issued.

The move was the latest in a series of dramatic announcements and clarifications going on since Monday around public servants' money in the stock market.

Public administration senior secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder told  on Wednesday evening that the circular had been withdrawn temporarily and would be issued again later 'with corrections'.

The circular, which was issued in the afternoon, had drawn attention of public servants to the fact that their rules of employment, the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules 1979, forbids them from making speculative investments or engaging in a business that creates a conflict of interest.

The circular quoted Rule 15 of the conduct code which says: "No government servant shall speculate in investments. For the purpose of this sub-rule, the habitual purchase and sale of securities of notoriously fluctuating value shall be deemed to be speculation in investments."

The stern telling-off in the circular could hardly be guessed at the Securities and Exchange Commission press meet on Wednesday morning, where chairman M Khairul Hossain boldly announced that no decision had been taken to stop government officials and employees from investing in stocks.

It all started on Monday, where in a slip-of-the-tongue moment, prime minister's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad let out that the latest cabinet meeting had discussed keeping public servants off the stock market.

A panicked DSE and CSE suspended trading on Tuesday, but could not evade the free fall of DSE general index, which lost 178 points within the first five minutes of trading on Wednesday.

Small investors protested the entire day in front of DSE, fighting with the police all over Motijheel.

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