Anomalies found against KDA director
Khulna Bureau :
On April 27, 2021, Satkhira Additional Deputy Commissioner Md. Badiuzzaman was transferred as Deputy Director of the Local Government Department of Magura district. That order was cancelled and he was transferred to the Khulna Development Authority (KDA). He joined KDA as Director (Estate). In the next 4 years, he made headlines numerous times due to irregularities, corruption and recruitment business.
Md. Badiuzzaman was transferred two more times after the investigation found evidence of irregularities. He has returned to a bigger position in KDA by canceling that transfer order. He was transferred as the director of the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority on January 18 due to the distribution of old leaflets of Sheikh Mujib on World Habitat Day. Now he is trying to return as the second highest member of KDA. The victims are angry about this.
It has been learned from KDA that Md. Badiuzzaman, who entered the BCS administration cadre under the freedom fighter quota, was close to KDA member and former Awami League MP Runu Reza.
Their plan led to a major plot fraud the following year. On May 24, 2022, Badiuzzaman and some officials secretly divided 15 plots of KDA’s Mayuri project. Plots were given to Khulna Awami League leaders and some officials of the ministry to keep in the hands of Awami League leaders. Runu Reza alone took 4 plots in the names of various people close to her. When the uproar started, the irregularities came to light.
After investigation, it was found that a plot worth about two crore taka was taken for only 2.5 lakh taka by Md. Badiuzzaman and some others. And the policy for allocating plots in this plot baga was amended in stages. When information about plot corruption came to light, the ACC was ordered by the ministry on May 16, 2023 to investigate the matter.
On July 17, 2023, Khulna ACC Assistant Director Mahmudul Hasan Shuvo summoned the plot allocation documents. An internal audit of KDA revealed that a loss of 6.4 million taka had been incurred due to irregularities and the plot recipients were ordered to return the rest.
The source said that while the ACC investigation was ongoing, Md. Badiuzzaman was transferred as the Zonal Settlement Officer of Barisal on August 29, 2023. But a month later, on September 21, he was transferred back to KDA as the Secretary of KDA. After that, the investigation into the plot corruption lost momentum.
The source said that Md. Badiuzzaman completed the written and oral tests of 800 people within 36 hours as per the plan of former MP Runu Reza to appoint preferred people to 15 posts. On October 7, 2022 (Friday), KDA conducted the recruitment test for 15 people in 6 categories. More than eight hundred candidates participated in the test. The results of the written test were announced late on Friday night. The next day, on October 8, the oral test was conducted. In the afternoon, 16 people were declared final selected. There were allegations of major trade in this recruitment too.
He was recently criticized for distributing leaflets of Sheikh Mujib at the KDA settlement day program on October 6. When the news about this was published in Amardesh, he was transferred on January 18.
In this regard, Md. Badiuzzaman said, I have taken the plot allocation according to the rules. I was not involved in the recruitment process. The top people of the administration make the transfers, I have no opportunity to interfere here.