You Left Me in a Crocodile Cage: Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb

After taking oath, Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam Swapan spent a busy first working day in office. He is also shouldering the responsibility of the Ministry of Science and Technology. On Wednesday, 18 February, after formally assuming charge, he worked from both the Secretariat and the ICT Tower in Agargaon, Dhaka.

Prior to him, the two offices were overseen by two state ministers. One of them, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, is currently in jail in connection with a case over internet shutdown and alleged mass killings. The other, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, served as Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser of the interim government.

As his tenure drew to a close, Taiyeb left the country to join his family living abroad. However, his departure sparked sharp commentary on social media platforms.

Responding to the criticism, Taiyeb has been vocal on social media. Around 8:45 pm Bangladesh time on 18 February, he made a detailed post addressing his critics.

In his post, he wrote that whenever he faces intense criticism, he experiences two feelings.

“I pushed through several reforms, did substantial work, and tried to introduce many new initiatives. In this world, those who do not work face no criticism,” he said.

Addressing his critics as “hard-hearted,” the engineer and writer added, “You placed me in a ministry that had long been a den of two top wrongdoers—did you ever think about the kind of beneficiary businessmen, lobbyists, middlemen, tender manipulators, consultants, officials, saboteurs, and pet journalists they had left behind? You threw me into a crocodile cage.”

He continued, saying that he endured severe pressure, relentless false accusations, rumors, and repeated acts of sabotage that left him sleepless night after night. “Those who have met me know that I never asked anyone for anything. In trying to remain honest and transparent, I could not fulfill many of your requests,” he wrote.

Taiyeb further questioned whether critics had ever deeply considered the extent of “firefighting” he had to undertake during his tenure.

Concluding the post by expressing gratitude to the Creator, he said, “In difficult times, I found many of you by my side. Otherwise, I would not have been able to carry such a heavy burden. My heartfelt gratitude and lifelong love to you all.”