All government employees must submit their wealth statement by November 30 this year, said Senior Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration Md Mokhlesur Rahman on Sunday .

He shared this information at a press conference held on the submission of wealth statement by public employees.

From the next year the deadline will be December 31, he said.

He said 15 lakh government employees are required to submit their asset declarations to the relevant ministries and authorities in accordance with the ‘Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1979’. “While the deadline for asset declarations will typically be December 31, this year's deadline is November 30,” he said. 

Asset declarations must be submitted to the respective authorities in sealed envelopes, he said adding any false or misleading information or concealment of details will be considered a punishable offense under the 1979 regulations. 

He also outlined that under the ‘Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018,’ minor and major penalties can be imposed for “misconduct.” Minor penalties include censure, suspension of promotions or salary increments, recovery of financial losses caused by negligence, and demotion to a lower salary grade.

Major penalties include demotion to a lower position or salary grade, forced retirement, dismissal, and removal from service.

“This directive applies to all employees, as the term 'employee' is used to refer to both officers and staff in government service.” 

He also mentioned that the asset declaration must be submitted in a specific format designed by the MOPA, which can be accessed on the ministry’s website as well as on other ministry, department, and agency websites.

He said that the asset declarations, being confidential documents, cannot be shared in whole or in part without approval from the relevant authorities. “Therefore, the ‘Right to Information Act, 2009’ does not apply to these declarations,” he added.