• BSCIC promotes controversial PD to Regional Director despite massive allegations

Staff Reporter

The fate of Sirajganj BSCIC Industrial Park and feasible entrepreneurs has been hanged on the balance still now even after expiring of the project implementation deadline due to massive corruption, irregularities and mismanagement by the authorities concerned.

As a result, getting expected benefits from the country’s largest industrial park is looming uncertainty among the entrepreneurs.

Though, the implementation of Sirajganj BSCIC Industrial Park was shown completed on pen and papers by June 30 in the last year, the works of plot allocation and other development works have remained hanging centering various bureaucratic complexities including posting of some influential BSCIC officers, sources claimed.

Meanwhile, the Project Director (PD) of Sirajganj BSCIC Industrial Park Jafar Bayazid has been promoted as Regional Director (Acting/in charge) for BSCIC regional office in Rajshahi despite several corruption and mismanagement allegations against him.

Earlier on September 19, 2024, in an office order, he was given additional charge for ‘Munshiganj Printing Industrial City’ project, which is being implemented under supervision of BSCIC.

Just after days, his posting was postponed on the face of several corruption and anomaly allegations published on different news outlets including Daily Inqilab. After withdrawal from Munshiganj project, Jafar Bayazid was forced to back to his previous working place. But, he continued lobbing to grab further any other promotion.

Within a few months’ effort, he grabbed golden deer again through another promotion as Regional Director for Rajshahi regional office. Jafar already joined at his new working place in Rajshahi last week, but, he did not handover the charge of Sirajganj BSCIC Industrial Park to the newly posted officer Mahbubul Islam so far. Consequently, the total activities of the industrial park have remained hanged on the balance.

Several reliable sources and media reports revealed that, Sirajganj BSCIC Industrial Park was a mentionable symbol of corruption, irregularities and mismanagement in the Awami League led government.

According to the sources of Industry Ministry, the Awami League government under supervision of Industry Ministry and BSCIC initiated to implement Sirajganj BSCIC Industrial Park on about 400 acres of lands on the western side of Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge covering several parts of Chhatiyantoli, West Mohonpur, Bonbaria, Beltiya and Morgram Mouza (unit) in Sirajganj Sadar upazila at a cost of about Tk 719.21 crore.

It was scheduled to establish at least 570 industries on 829 plots of the park. There was an assurance to give highly preference to set up export-import oriented industries along with the native small and medium industries in context of plot allocation. But, the dream of entrepreneurs at home and abroad has almost turned into nightmare due to delay progress of the plot allocation.

In the preliminary stage, it was scheduled to complete the project within four years. But, the work was completed on the verge of fourteen years due to massive corruption, irregularities and mismanagement of the concerned Project Director Jafar Bayazid, who was allegedly involved with Chhatra League’s politics during his studentship. There is an allegation that, he had abused his power in his working place using the influence of his close relative A.H.M Kayruzzaman Liton, Presidium Member of Awami League and former Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), insiders said.

They claimed that, both the cost and time of the project have increased several times due to plundering of money through corruption and irregularities by the PD Jafar Bayazid. Besides, his inefficiency in the working place was another reason behind delay completion of the project works.

It was revealed by several local newspapers, online portals and IP-TVs that, all of the bills in the project were withdrawn before June closing in the last year keeping incomplete over 40 percent of works.

Though, the project director Jafar Bayazid claimed that, all of the construction works have recently completed in an effort of the last six months, the plot allocation activities have not yet been launched due to negligence of the higher authorities. He also claimed that, giving plot allocation is not on his hand.

Earlier on September 25, in a rejoinder published on the Daily Inqilab, Parul Akhter Keya, Public Relation Officer-1 (PRO) of PRO Section in BSCIC, Dhaka, claimed that, Jafar Bayazid was given additional charge for the Munshiganj project as he was able to complete the last stage’s works of two projects in BSCIC. It means that, he is an examined officer. But, why the officer was removed from the duty of Munshiganj project just after few times of posting, she could not clear the matter.

While contacted, Parul Akhter Keya, Public Relation Officer-1 (PRO) of PRO Section in BSCIC, Dhaka told The Daily Sky that, “It knows Ziaul Haque, DGM of Human Resource Management Section of Administration Division in BSCIC. I don’t know details.”

While this correspondent contacted with the DGM Ziaul Haque over cell phone on Saturday, he expressed his inability to make any comment saying that, Project Management and Implementation Division of the BSCIC may be able to clear the matter.

But, no one of the division responded the call, while this correspondent attempted to take their comments in this regard over cell phone.

In this circumstance, question has intensified over the role of all concerned in context of promoting Jafar Bayazid.

Despite several anomaly allegations and controversies, the officer was given promotion as regional director that creates wonder to other officers and employees of the BSCIC.

Seeking anonymity, some officers said, “There are many officers, who have been deprived of promotion and other privileges for years due to autocratic policy of the then Awami League government. But, the higher authorities have given Jafar Bayazid’s promotion to Regional Director or Manager depriving of many other skilled and efficient officers that creates anger among them. Due to farcical promotion, many sacrificing officers in the organization are going to lose their working energy and eager.”

While contacted, Mahbubul Islam, Assistant General Manager (AGM/in charge) of BSCIC in Sirajganj told The Daily Sky that, “I have joined Sirajganj office recently, but I am yet to get charge of BSCIC Industrial Park as Jafar Bayazid did not handover the charge to me. Therefore, Jafar is still in charge of the Industrial Park as PD. So, I have no scope to make any comment in this regard.”

“I however, will inform the necessary information to the Sirajganj Press Club after getting charge of the project,” he added.

Declining to the corruption allegation, Jafar Bayazid, Project Director of Sirajganj BSCIC Industrial Park and Regional Director of BSCIC Regional Office in Rajshahi told TDS that, “The work of plot allocation for the small, large and medium industries will start soon. The BSCIC authorities are working on plot evaluation. Notification will be published on newspapers shortly.”

But, he did not reply to the query on when he will hand over the charge?

(The report to be continued as series. To know more details about it, stay with us.)