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CNG scam related to finance ministry

Communications boss surprises JS with new disclosure

Staff Correspondent
Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain yesterday put the blame on finance and commerce ministries for the much-talked-about corruption in importing CNG-run autorickshaws during the rule of last BNP government.
Abul Hossain's surprising comment in the parliament, however, does not match with the facts as former communications minister Nazmul Huda was held responsible by a parliamentary body in the last parliament for his alleged corruption involving overTk 100 crore.
Ruling alliance lawmaker Moazzem Hossain Ratan of Sunamganj-1, in a scripted question, yesterday wanted to know the number of imported four-stroke CNG autorickshaws and about any possible government's plan of taking action against the individuals involved in corruption in importing the vehicles.
The lawmaker said there were allegations of widespread corruption in importing CNG-run vehicles. He wanted to know whether the ministers and lawmakers of the BNP-led alliance government were involved in the irregularities.
But in the scripted answer, the communications minister told the House that the question is related to the finance and commerce ministries
About the number of imported CNG-run autorickshaws, the minister said Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) does not have any exact figure in this regard.
During the rule of last BNP government, the parliamentary standing committee on communications ministry strongly blasted the then communications minister for the financial irregularities in importing the CNG-run autorickshaws.
The committee also found that one had to pay Tk 3 lakh or more for a CNG-run autorickshaw whereas its real price was about Tk 1.5 lakh due to rampant corruption. The then communications minister allowed only one company to import the vehicles.
The then parliamentary standing committee dominated by the BNP lawmakers also formed a subcommittee to investigate the corruption.
Irked by the parliamentary body's move, Nazmul Huda sought protection from the then prime minister to prevent the committee from investigating the scam. The then prime minister also criticised the committee’s chairman, also a lawmaker of BNR for the move.
In the face of severe opposition from the communications ministry, the sub committee failed to complete the investigation.
In response to lawmakers' queries, the communications minister told the House that a total of 4,605 rail accidents occurred during 2001 to 2008 due to mainly faulty railway tracks, technical glitches in engines, violation of security code, national disaster etc. A total of230 people were killed in the accidents, the minister.
The communications minister said the government has taken various measures to prevent railway accidents.
In reply to another query, the communications minister unveiled a list of individuals and firms who got the lease of the lands to set up CNG stations during 2001 to 2006. BNP and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leaders, DCC commissioners, including Mafiqul Hasan TYipti,
Manowar Hossain Dipjal, Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, Ashik Ahmed, Shahabuddin Laltu, Azizul Bari, Rezabuddowla Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Alhaj Salahuddin Ahmed, Barkatullah Bulu and Abul Khair Bhuiyan among others were on the list.
In the last parliament, Huda himself raised allegation of anomalies in allocating lands to set up CNG stations. At the meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on communications ministry, Huda demanded formation of a subcommittee to investigate the matter.
The then state minister of communications, Salahuddin Ahmed, handled the allocation of lands to set up CNG stations. Following the communications minister’s demand, the then parliamentary standing committee formed a subcommittee to investigate the allegation, but the subcommittee failed to come up with its probe report.