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Graft, Truth Commission

Ministry soft on amnesty-seekers

Communications takes no move on selection board instruction for action

M Abul Kalam Azad
The Superior Selection Board (SSB) has instructed the communications ministry to take measures against the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) officials who went to now-defunct Truth and
Accountability Commission to seek clemency for their misdeeds.
SSB, a powerful committee dealing with promotion of cadre officers, gave the direction recently following criticism in the media over promotion of some of the
RHD officials including Chief Engineer Shahab Uddin.
Cabinet Secretary M Abul Aziz heads the selection board while six other secretaries are members.
The communications ministry, however, is reluctant to take any steps against the officials.
“The law ministry or the Anti-Corruption Commission can take actions against them, not the communications ministry,” said Communications Minister SyedAbul Hossain.
Some 40 RHD officials went to the then truth commission under the voluntary disclosure of information ordinance during the last caretaker rule and sought clemency.
Many of the graft suspects got reappointed and promoted upon recommendations from SSB after the Awami League-led government assumed power in 2009.
The chief engineer disclosed that he had earned some illegal money, most of
which was spent for social welfare. He promised not to indulge in corruption in future.
He obtained clemency by depositingTk3 lakh.
Shahab Uddin, however, claimed that he did not write anything to the truth commission. He said, “The then administration made me appear before the commission and sign papers.'’
Asked about Shahab Uddin's corruption as the chief engineer, the communications minister said the performance of RHD enhanced since his appointment. “I don't have any knowledge of him being engaged in any irregularities.”
Shahab Uddin went into retirement on November 18, 2009. He joined the RHD on December 14 the same year after the government had extended the service-age limit for freedom fighters by two years. But many of his colleagues opposed this appointment.
The Supreme Court has recently upheld the High
Court verdict that declared the truth commission illegal, clearing the way for trying those who disclosed their misdeeds to the commission and deposited ill-gotten money to the state coffer.
In July 2008, Shahab Uddin submitted his wealth statement to the ACC, mentioning that he owned a three-katha land in Uttara, which he got from Rajuk; a 10-bighalandin his home district Laxmipur; a shop in Genetic Plaza in the capital; and Tk 15 lakh in different banks.
The ACC then suspected that Shahab and his wife might have amassed properties worth around Tk 40 crore. The anti-graft body, however, could not prove it.
The communications ministry formed a committee in October last year to investigate appointments, promotion and corruption of Shahab Uddin and Bangladesh Railway Director General TA Chowdhury, who recently went on retirement. It found no corruption of irregularities of them.