Special Correspondent:

Serious allegations of bribery and illicit financial transactions involving promotions, transfers, and postings have surfaced at the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), targeting the department’s top administration.

According to internal sources and a section of affected staffs, a total of Tk 9.55 crore was allegedly collected during a promotion perios in March. Under this process, some 90 work assistants were promoted to surveyors, with each allegedly paying Tk 3 lakh for a total of Tk 2.70 crore. Additionally, 137 sub-assistant engineers were elevated to current-charge assistant engineers after allegedly paying Tk 5 lakh each, totaling Tk 6.85 crore across the group.

FIXED ‘RATES’ FOR TRANSFERS AND PROJECT POSTS

Allegations have also been leveled against Chief Engineer Belal Hossain regarding an unofficial “rate card” for lucrative field postings and project directorships. Affected officials report facing systematic financial pressure to secure preferred postings, claiming that transfers remain blocked if demands are not met.

Under this alleged system, transfers for upazila engineers and senior assistant engineers carry a price tag of Tk 15 lakh to Tk 20 lakh, while sub-assistant engineer transfers cost Tk 8 lakh to Tk 10 lakh. Executive engineer transfers reportedly range between Tk 50 lakh and Tk 1 crore, and appointments to coveted Project Director (PD) positions command between Tk 1 crore and Tk 1.5 crore.

CALLS FOR HIGH-LEVEL INVESTIGATION

In the wake of these explosive allegations, there has been a demand for an impartial investigation into the list of 227 promoted officials, official documents, the role of the recommending authority, and the bank accounts and asset statements of those involved. According to the complainants, only a review of call records, digital communications, and bank transactions will provide direct evidence of this huge financial transaction.

Attempts to reach Chief Engineer Belal Hossain at his office for comment on the allegations were unsuccessful.