Dhaka:The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against eight individuals, including former Information Ministers Hasanul Haq Inu and Hasan Mahmud, for allegedly causing a financial loss of 70 million taka to the state. The charges relate to the construction of a bronze mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman under a project at Bangladesh Betar.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the case was registered at the ACC's Integrated District Office, Dhaka-1, under several sections of the Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. The accused include former Directors General of Bangladesh Betar, AKM Neshar Uddin Bhuiyan and Narayan Chandra Shil, among others.
The case, filed by ACC Assistant Director Md Mostafizur Rahman, claims that the mural was included in a project titled "Relocation of the Bangladesh Betar Shahbag Complex to Agargaon, Dhaka; Construction and Modernization (Phase 1) Second Revision" despite not being essential, marking an abuse of power. The FIR details a series of meetings and decisions from 2014 to 2020 that led to the allocation and expenditure of funds for the mural, which was never found at the site.
The ACC's investigation suggests collusion among the accused to inflate project costs and facilitate payments, leading to financial losses for the government. The case will expand to include others if further involvement is discovered.