DHAKA: The Anti-Corruption Commission has put on the dock four top officials of Local Government and Engineering Department charging them with corruption, as anti-graft campaigners considered LGED as one of the hotspots for underhand dealings.
According to official sources, the charge-sheeted suspects are LGED Project Directors Shahidur Rahman Pramanik and Kazi Mujibur Rahman, Superintending Engineer Abul Kalam Azad and former Superintending Engineer of Faridpur region Mominur Rahman, who is now on LPR.
The sources said ACC Deputy Director Moniruzzaman Khan investigated the charges against Pramanik, who allegedly amassed crores of taka in quick bucks while working as Executive Engineer in Mymensingh district.
There are many allegations against Shahidur Rahman Pramanik in the Chief Engineer’s office and the Local Government Ministry, the sources said.
Sources in the LGED said actions could not be taken against Pramanik because he was close to Abdus Salam Pintu, a Deputy Minister of the past BNP-led four-party alliance government, who is now in jail.
“Despite having been accused of many irregularities, he might be promoted to Superintending Engineer soon,” said one of the LGED sources.
An allegation of misappropriation of money was raised against former Executive Engineer of Gazipur and Project Director Kazi Mujibur Rahman.
Mujibur Rahman allegedly gave work permit to a contractor in exchange for money instead of the contractor recommended by the evaluation committee.
The ACC Deputy Director, Moniruzzaman Khan, conducted investigation in this regard and framed the charge against him.
On the other hand, ACC filed a case against former Executive Engineer in Mymensingh Abul Kalam Azad for amassing wealth by illegal means.
The ACC Deputy Director also investigated the charge against him.
In the meantime, Abul Kalam Azad has been downgraded from the post of Superintending Engineer in departmental action for corruption.
ACC Deputy Director of Khulna division Shirin Parvin submitted the charge sheet against Mominur Rahman for misappropriating government funds, the ACC sources said.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on LGRD Ministry on May 11, 2009 identified some 240 engineers as corrupt and recommended taking departmental action against them.
Among the accused, 45 were Executive Engineers, 105 Upazila Engineers and 90 Sub-assistant Engineers.
BDST: 1030 HRS, SEPT 7, 2010
