Special Correspondent:

Allegation has been intensified that Atiqul Islam, Executive Engineer of Public Works Department (PWD) in Dhaka has set up an empire of grafts and anomalies at his office abusing the name of relevant adviser.

He has already amassed crores of Taka by carrying recruitment, transfer and commission trade. To continue this illicit works, he has also established a powerful syndicate centering the PWD, it is alleged.

Meanwhile, more than one written complaints have been submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) by some victimized contractors.

According to the complaints, he does not sign any file without payment of his required commission. After August 5, he is showing his dominance like previous period in the political upheaval. Even though, he is an engineer, his hands are very long. There is no job, he cannot do. He has also own goon army. Several other executive engineers are among the leaders of that syndicate.

He has earned hundreds of crores of taka through corruption, irregularities and abuse of power. On the other hand, he donated lakhs of taka to the Awami League fund to suppress the student movement before fall of the autocratic Hasina government. It is reported that, this executive engineer himself took to the field against students’ movement.

Sources say that, the main leader of the looting syndicate that has been established in the PWD for the last 17 years is Executive Engineer Atiqul Islam. He has been served at different important divisions in Dhaka by turn.

The complaint also states that, Atiqul Islam is the godfather of corrupt executive engineers of the PWD. He was repeatedly transferred from one division to another in Dhaka. Although, there is a rule of transfer in every three years, he has not been transferred outside Dhaka in the last 17 years due to his invisible power.

It is known that, he spent the entire time of his service life in Dhaka, except for the apprenticeship period. In the past, he has basically arranged transfers at his own will in the quota of ministers, secretaries, chief engineers and influential politicians, which is still ongoing. He was last transferred to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Public Works Division-3 from Public Works Division-1 in Dhaka on July 14. Both these divisions are considered to be very important and lucrative postings in the PWD, insiders said.

Seeking anonymity, some officials of the PWD said, Atiqul Islam, who is currently serving as executive engineer, had been worked for a long time in various divisions of Dhaka as an assistant engineer, sub-divisional engineer and executive engineer. There are many allegations of corruption, irregularities, money siphoning and acquiring assets beyond known income against him.

He served in the maintenance section of the Dhaka Public Works Department. Contractors claimed that, influential executive engineer Atiqul Islam was one of the leaders of the tender manipulating syndicate.

It is alleged that, while serving as the Executive Engineer of the maintenance section of the PWD, he realized large amount of bribes from various contractors and invited additional tenders worth about Tk 60 crore from the approved annual procurement plan in three years. He skillfully embezzled about Tk 10 crore by inviting tenders of additional 60 Tk crore. At one stage, he was transferred to Dhaka PWD-1 for it.

At the same time, Executive Engineer (Maintenance Department) Atiqul Islam was in charge of maintaining several abandoned houses and three buildings in the capital’s Segunbagicha area. Despite having no room to spend, this engineer mysteriously received allocation of Tk 21 crore against 120 works in that fiscal year.

At that time, allegations over embezzlement of money from substandard works and projects were submitted to the then Housing and Public Works Minister. The minister was reportedly paid money to cover up the incident.

A committee was also formed for the construction of a multi-storey building of the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB), whose main work was commission trading.

In the name of getting the committee’s approval, an approval fee of Tk 5 crore was taken against the two departments for transferring the project from Motijheel Public Works Department to Dhaka Public Works Department-1.

By earning illegal money in this way, he has built a fish farm on 25 bighas of land in Mymensingh, which is being managed by his brother-in-law.

Apart from this, he has 14 to 15 plots and flats at different elite areas of the Dhaka city. He has purchased these properties anonymously to evade the eyes of the ACC. Those concerned believe that, the cat of the bag will come out once the ACC investigates.

When Executive Engineer Atiqul Islam was called on this issue, he refused to talk.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said that, “Corrupt people basically remain active with political shelter. Therefore, it is difficult to eliminate them.”

When the attention of Public Works Advisor Md. Adilur Rahman Khan was drawn to this issue, he said that, “Strict action will be taken, if allegation is received.”