Futurebd Desk:

Allegation of amassing crores of taka and huge illegal wealth through massive corruption, irregularities and bribery has been intensified against Ashraful Alam, Chief Engineer of Public Works Department (PWD) and his wife Sabina Alam.

Meanwhile, Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) has already launched reinvestigation to find out the sources of amassing illegal wealth by Ashraful Alam and his wife Sabina Alam.

ACC has also started another investigation against Prodeep Kumar Bose, Additional Chief Engineer of the PWD centering an allegation filed by one Wahidur Rahman of Malibagh in the capital.

Saiduzzaman Assistant Director of the ACC has got charge to conduct investigation against the PWD officers and other involved persons after carrying preliminary investigation by Mofetahul Jannat, Assistant Director of the ACC.

Necessary action would be taken after completion of the investigation, said ACC spokesperson Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya.

There is a complaint that, Ashraful Alam has been established mountain of illegal wealth in home and abroad. Besides, he has smuggled huge amount of money to abroad through illegal channel.

Meanwhile, several allegations have been submitted to the President and Prime Minister offices seeking proper investigation and exemplary punishment to them. In the preliminary investigation, the commission has found information that Ashraful Alam’s wife Sabina Alam is possessing assets worth at Tk 3,54,48,000, while Ashraful Alam self is possessing assets worth at Tk 57. 97 lakh.

But, ACC believes that, they have huge amount of illegal wealth, which have been earned illegally and those were not shown to the ACC.

It is learned that, the investigation officer has sent letters to various departments including National Board of Revenue (NBR), RAJUK, City Corporation seeking information as a part of the investigation against the PWD Chief Engineer and his wife Sabina Alam.

According to the sources, Ashraful Alam was appointed as Chief Engineer at PWD on December 31 in 2019.

Earlier this, he had been discharged duty as Additional Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone.

Sensational information has recently leaked out that, Ashraful Alam, an officer of the 15th batch of PWD, gained the Chief Engineer post from Additional Chief Engineer through a secret deal of Tk 20 crore.

The matter of deal signing on a non-judicial stamp over paying of Tk 20 crore as bribe to a recruited adviser and Tk 10 crore to others to get promotion as Chief Engineer from additional Chief Engineer has now become talk of the country.

Hailed from Bogura, Ashraful Alam was nearest ones of the Zia family. He was called as ‘Zia Family Engineer’ during the BNP tenure.

At that time, he served at different important posts on the blessing of Tareq Zia.

According to the sources, the deal of paying Tk 20 crore was signed on November 10 in 2019 by his brother-in-law Sadrul Islam Symon on behalf of Ashraful Alam and contractor Rintu Anwar on behalf of the consultant. It was also contained signatures of three more persons from 114/4 West Agargaon, 164 North Badda and 26 East Naya Tola respectively as witnesses.

Ashraful’s brother-in-law Symon gave statement in the agreement saying that “I am signing the contract with Rintu Anwar as a consultant to assist Ashraful Alam for his promotion as Chief Engineer. The exchange of remuneration as a consultant has been fixed at Tk 20 crore.”

It was also further mentioned that “I come to Rintu Anwar’s office at Vijay Nagar-34, (4th floor) as per Ashraful Alam’s consent, request and decision and signed a Cheque of Tk 20 core without date in presence of some witnesses. Then it was handed over to Rintu.”

“Rintu Anwar will be able to withdraw the money of the Cheque within seven working days after Ashraful Alam receiving the promotion letter as Chief Engineer. If I fail to maintain the commitment within the deadline, Rintu Anwar can be made the Cheque as dishonor for taking necessary legal action against me,” Symon said in the deed.

Finally, Ashraful Alam was promoted to the post of Chief Engineer at PWD on December 31 on the basis of the deal signed on November 10.

According to the multiple sources of PWD office, Rintu Anwar along with some of his associates went to the office of Chief Engineer Ashraful Alam on July 21 and they engaged in a scuffle with him at one stage of conversation.

Not only getting promotion by paying bribe, there are many allegations against Ashraful Alam for money laundering and providing works to favourite contractors in exchange of big sum of bribes.

Last year, Golam Kabiriya Shamim (GK Shamim) was arrested in the purification drives of the law enforcers.

The ACC started investigation against a number of engineers in the PWD including few Additional Chief Engineers and former engineers of the department and contractor GK Shamim for their alleged corruption and anomalies.

Number of agencies wanted to know about the source of fund for Tk 20 crore which is spent for bribing by Ashraful Alam.

As a part of the investigation, the ACC has already interrogated 11 persons, while 11 engineers were arrested in a case filed against them over Pabna’s Rooppur nuclear power plant scam.

A reliable source of PWD said, submission of allegation and counter allegation to different organizations including ACC and PM office is now going on between Chief Engineer Ashraful Alam’s men and Additional Chief Engineer Prodeep Kumer Bose’s men over the post of Chief Engineer that hampering work atmosphere of the PWD office.

Prodeep Kumar Bose is trying to get a promotion as Chief Engineer, while the incumbent Chief Engineer Ashraful Alam is trying to stay there for more time. In this situation, the both have engaged in an invisible and silent dispute, relevant sources said.

While this correspondent tried to contact with the Chief Engineer Ashraful Alam over cell phone several times for his comment on this regard, he did not respond.

Similarly, Rintu Anwar and Sadrul Islam Symon did not make any comment on this regard.

While contacted over cell phone, Prodeep Kumer Bose declined to make any comment on this regard on the plea of his sickness. (Source: Online)