Special Correspondent:

Questions have been raised over the professional conduct and adherence to service rules of a Roads and Highways Department (RHD) engineer following an incident in Khulna in which he was allegedly found in an intoxicated condition while travelling in a government vehicle with alcohol and a woman.

The official, Debashish Kumar Mondal (ID No. 700203), was recently promoted from assistant engineer at the First Line Workshop Sub-division of the RHD in Magura to sub-divisional engineer (SDE) of the Jashore Mechanical Sub-division.

The incident has also brought renewed attention to a series of allegations against the engineer, including unauthorised absence from duty, misuse of departmental resources and alleged involvement in the disposal of government equipment.

According to police and local sources, a government vehicle of the RHD (Dhaka Metro-Ga-14-7300), carrying Debashish, office assistant Mamun and a woman, was involved in a series of collisions at the Satrasta and Moylapota intersections in Khulna city at around 10:00pm on September 27.

Several vehicles, including a scooter and an auto-rickshaw, were reportedly hit. Two passengers of an auto-rickshaw were critically injured, triggering anger among local residents.

Locals subsequently intercepted the government vehicle and assaulted the driver and Debashish before police arrived and rescued them from the crowd.

Lokman Hossain, officer-in-charge of Khulna Sadar Police Station, said police reached the scene after receiving information from locals and recovered half a bottle of locally made alcohol from the vehicle.

He said two people, including Debashish, were taken to the police station, while the woman left the scene before police arrived.

According to the OC, office assistant Mamun had a valid licence for consuming alcohol and was therefore released from the police station. Debashish, however, was produced before a court the following day and was subsequently released after paying a fine and executing a bond.

The incident has sparked discussion among RHD officials, employees and contractors, with several officials expressing concern over the conduct of a government engineer.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a number of RHD officials alleged that Debashish had used departmental employees to facilitate activities involving the purchase and consumption of alcohol. They also alleged that he had been involved in the unauthorised removal and sale of departmental equipment.

But, these allegations could not be independently verified by any of the government organizations.

Tanimul Haque, executive engineer of the RHD in Khulna, confirmed the incident involving Debashish.

“Debashis was promoted to sub-divisional engineer from assistant engineer and posted to Jashore Mechanical Sub-division on September 10. But now, where he is serving, I have no idea,” he said.

The circumstances surrounding Debashish’s posting and his actual duties in Khulna have also come under scrutiny.

Several RHD sources alleged that he remained in Khulna despite his transfer because of his close association with Gunjan Barua, executive engineer (Mechanical) of the RHD in Khulna. They further alleged that Debashish was involved in handling commission-related dealings with contractors on Barua’s behalf.

Sources also claimed that, Debashish had been transferred from Magura to Khulna (Transfer under deputation) despite the Khulna Ferry Division already having sufficient manpower.

There are further allegations within the department that an influential contractor in Khulna had played a role in securing Barua’s transfer from Bogura to Khulna by allegedly paying Tk20 lakh.

It is also alleged that, the contractor, Debashish and Barua subsequently formed an informal network to influence the preparation of project estimates, allocation of works and distribution of commissions under the RHD’s mechanical section.

These allegations also remain unverified, and no documentary evidence supporting the claims was made available.

Md Mahbubul Alam Khan, additional chief engineer and officer in charge of the RHD’s Khulna Division, said he had heard about the matter but was unaware of the specific details.

Questions have also been raised over Debashish’s attendance during his tenure at the RHD’s Magura First Class Workshop Sub-division.

Several sources alleged that he regularly remained absent from the workplace and at times visited the office only once a month while continuing to draw his salary. Despite the allegations, he was promoted to the rank of SDE.

The allegations raise broader questions about internal supervision, accountability and compliance with service rules within the RHD.

Repeated attempts to contact Debashish Kumar Mondal for his comment on the allegations were unsuccessful.