Bangladesh News

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday finalised preparation for filing a Tk 127-crore corruption case against former housing and public works minister Mirza Abbas and 11 engineers and officials of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (Rajuk) and Public Works Department (PWD).

Violating the authorities’ direction in selling 18 abandoned houses of the government, they in connivance with one another sold the houses on fake auction that resulted in a loss worth Tk 127 crore 64 lakh and 29 thousand to the government as the houses were sold at much lower prices than the market prices, ACC sources said.

Investigation Officer Shafiul Alam was supposed to file the case with Ramna Police Station last night as approval for the case had been granted, said the sources.

The Rajuk officials are: Incumbent Chief Engineer Reazul Manir, Secretary Mir Mosharraf Hossain, former directors Humayun Khan and Golam Nabi, former Rajuk member and present Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Shahid Alam, and officials Md Emdadul Hossain and Mohammad Ali.

PWD officials are: Former engineer Syed Mahfuz Ahmed, former secretary SM Jafrullah, official Ziauddin Ahmed and Director of Purbachal Project Abdus Sadeque.

Mirza Abbas is on the list of 50 high profile corruption suspects that the ACC published on February 18.

The ACC directed them to submit their wealth statement within 72 hours. When Abbas went to the ACC to submit his statement in person, the join forces arrested him and since then he is in jail.

To date, the ACC has filed corruption cases against 12 of the 50 suspects.