Sharif's search for corruption in Garakale change officials

The sacked deputy assistant director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) fell under fire while investigating the corruption discussed in the acquisition of land in the Cox's Bazar water treatment plant project. Sharif Uddin.

His investigation revealed the involvement of many people, including the municipal mayor and bureaucrats. But due to unknown reasons, the case was not approved. After that the inquiry officer was changed but there was no major change in the inquiry report.

Cox's Bazar Water Treatment Plant

• The investigation officer found evidence that 35 crores of loss was caused to the government in the acquisition of the land for the project. And in that investigation report, District Awami League General Secretary and Municipal Mayor Mujibur Rahman, former Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar (currently Joint-Secretary, Ministry of Local Government) Md. Kamal Hussain, former Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) (now Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology) Ashraful Afsar and 37 others were recommended by investigating officer Deputy Director Ali Akbar.

He is now working in a private company. Before losing his job, Sharif recommended ACC to file more than half a hundred cases of corruption in various development projects of Cox's Bazar. Apart from this, three dozen other influential persons sent proposals to the commission seeking permission to file asset declarations. But ACC did not approve. Although there were several cases earlier, they were given the task of reinvestigation. However, the matter has stalled as most of the recommendations have not been approved.

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As stated in the search report

• in 2015, the then mayor of Cox's Bazar Municipality, Sarwar Kamal, selected a land worth around 1 crore 23 lakh taka on the north bank of Bankkhali River for the Cox's Bazar water treatment plant project under the Department of Public Health Engineering. Mujibur Rahman was given the responsibility of the new mayor after the completion of his duties. Excluding the previously selected land for the construction of the project, he selected land worth 36 crore 67 lakh taka on the south bank of Bankkhali river. Most of the newly selected land was land in government receivership. Before the acquisition of the land, the mayor had strategically converted 1.72 acres of receiver land into private land in the name of his wife and brother-in-law. Former Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Cox's Bazar Sadar Shahriar Moktar along with two other Assistant Commissioners (Land) and various officials of the district assisted the mayor in converting the government receiver land into private land

According to the report, three assistant commissioners (land) along with former assistant commissioner (land) of Cox's Bazar Sadar Shahriar Moktar helped the mayor to show that the land under the government's responsibility is privately owned.
The report also said that instead of accepting the proposed land on the north bank of the Bankkhali river on May 18, 2015, steps were taken to construct the project on the south bank of the Bankkhali river with a value of 10 times higher for the purpose of wasting, manipulating and embezzling government money. Then on September 30, the land allocation committee meeting decided to acquire the land. Out of the 2.19 acres of land selected for the project, 1.72 acres of land held by the government was planned by Mayor Mujibur Rahman to be privately owned. It has been mentioned in the report that the land was converted into private land through Namzari by showing possession of the land in the name of Mayor's wife Farhana Akhtar and wife's elder brother Mizanur Rahman.

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On the other hand, Jasim Uddin Gong, the victim of the airport expansion project, received 2 crore 22 lakh 4 thousand 187 taka for compensation, from that sum, mayor Mujibur Rahman took 1 crore 48 lakh taka for commission through Social Islami Bank account. From this money, he gave a check of Tk 10 lakh to his wife's brother Mizanur Rahman. The report recommended that a case be filed against the 37 persons under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, after the ACC's findings proved the allegations against them through documentary and testimonial evidence.

Dhaka Post tried to contact Cox's Bazar Mayor Mujibur Rahman on mobile phone but his statement was not received.

Against whom cases have been recommended

• 
  In the inquiry report, cases have been recommended against a total of 37 people. They are, Mayor of Cox's Bazar Municipality Mojibur Rahman, former DC of Cox's Bazar (currently Joint-Secretary, Ministry of Local Government) Md. Kamal Hossain, former Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) (now Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology) Mohammad Ashraful Afsar, former Upazila Nirbahi Officer and currently Sylhet Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) AHM Mahfuzur Rahman, former Assistant Commissioner Lands Mohammad Noor Hossain, Former Kanungo Bachchu Moni Chakma of Cox's Bazar Land Office, former Union Land Sub-Assistant Officer Mizbah Uddin, former Assistant Commissioner of Cox's Bazar Sadar Rashedul Islam, former Assistant Commissioner (Land) and currently Senior Assistant Secretary (Temporary Dismissal) Ministry of Public Administration Nazim Uddin, Upazila Land Office Kanungo Vasant Kumar Chakma, Union Assistant Officer Mohammad Saheed and Abul Hoshain, Union Land Sub-Assistant Officer Mohammad Syed Noor, Upazila Land Office Record Keeper Jasim Uddin, Surveyor Md. Jahangir Alam.

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Apart from this, Cox's Bazar Sadar Union Land Sub-Assistant Officer Zaheed Hossain, Sadar's former Assistant Commissioner (Land) and currently BRTA Executive Magistrate Muhammad Shahriar Muktar, Deputy Commissioner's Office Government Counsel (GP) Mohammad Ishaq, Cox's Bazar Municipal Secretary Rachel Chowdhury, Deputy Commissioner's Office Land Acquisition Officer Md. Shamim Hussain, Additional Land Acquisition Officer Mohammad Ataur Rahman was recommended as accused. Kanungo Md. of the Land Acquisition Branch of the District Administration Office is recommended to be accused. Nurul Islam, surveyor. Ziaur Rahman and Md. Saiful Islam and IM Ashrafuzzaman. Mayor Mujibur Rahman's wife Farhana Akhter, wife's elder brother Mizanur Rahman, resident of Cox's Bazar Sadar, Momtazul Islam, Md. Mofizur Rahman, Mahbubur Rahman, Khorseda Begum, Mahmuda Khatun, Rezaul Karim, Mozaffar Ali, Md. The same recommendation was made in the report regarding Sala Uddin, Mostak Ahmad of the sub-registry office of the district headquarters and Hasan Mehedi Rahman, son of Mayor Mujibur Rahman.