TDS Desk:

The Ministry of Shipping has launched an investigation against five officers and employees, including Chief Examiner and Chief Nautical Surveyor (current charge), Captain Gias Uddin Ahmed of the Department of Shipping, on charges of illegal monetary transactions.

Allegations are there that these officers had been engaged in illegal money transactions over second-class mastership examinations conducted under the Department of Shipping.

The other four employees under investigation are Abdul Aziz, Office Assistant of the Department of Shipping, Nazrul Islam, Office Assistant, Asad and Md Swapan Islam.

Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping, Suraiya Parveen Shelley, has been assigned to carry out the investigation.

They have been accused of exchanging Tk22,40,000 through a syndicate in the second-class mastership examination held on 6 June of this year.

Sources at the Ministry of Shipping told that the Investigation Officer and Additional Secretary, Suraiya Parveen Shelley, has set 16 October as the date for the field investigation.

Besides, the Additional Secretary has written to the Director General of the Department of Shipping on 2 October, requesting the appointment of an officer to assist in the investigation.

When contacted, Director General of the Department of Shipping, Commodore Md Maksud Alam, said that his office has already received a letter from the ministry.

Regarding the appointment of an officer from his department to assist the investigation officer, the head of the Department of Shipping stated that he is yet to select anyone but will nominate a suitable officer soon.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has already initiated a formal investigation against Gias Uddin for the alleged acquisition of assets beyond known sources of income.