Lack of legal action turns CF Ctg into corruption hub
Staff Reporter :
Reports of huge corruption involving the Conservator of Forests (CF) for the Chattogram region, Mollah Rezaul Karim have long been a topic of discussion within the Forest Department.
Allegations suggest that he has turned the department into a hub of corruption.
During the tenure of the previous authoritarian government, he was known for disregarding senior officials while intimidating subordinates.
Following the fall of the fascist regime, he has now rebranded himself as a supporter of the BNP. However, since joining government service, he has consistently marginalised his subordinates.
By addressing former State Minister for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Habibun Nahar as “mother,” he amassed a vast fortune and built an empire with the help of trusted subordinates.
Sources said, as the Conservator of Forests (CF) for the Chattogram region, Mollah Rezaul Karim has instilled fear not just in Chattogram but throughout the entire Forest
Department.
Sources indicate that after the fall of the previous regime, he portrayed himself as a reformist and threatened protests within the department, ultimately securing the position of CF for Chattogram.
Appointed to the Forest Department in 2003, Mollah Rezaul Karim was posted as CF in September, following the fall of the Hasina government on August 5.
Documents obtained by this reporter reveal that between 2013 and 2016, then-Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Md. Yunus Ali repeatedly urged the Ministry of Environment and Forests to take departmental action against Mollah Rezaul Karim due to corruption allegations.
However, as a close associate of the ruling Awami League government, no action was taken against him.
Instead, the ministry rewarded him with a transfer from Feni as the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) to a high-profile posting as DFO of the Pulpwood Plantation Division in Bandarban.
On April 26, 2016, then-CCF Md. Yunus Ali sent a letter to the ministry highlighting financial irregularities during Mollah Rezaul Karim’s tenure as DFO of Feni.
The letter stated that between the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 fiscal years, Mollah Rezaul Karim spent BDT 23.1 million on a failed plantation project, causing financial losses to the government.
Letters were sent on September 3, 2013, and May 7, 2015, recommending departmental action against him, but the ministry took no steps.
Further investigation into official records shows that while serving as Director of the National Botanical Garden in Mirpur between the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 fiscal years, an audit by the Civil Audit Directorate raised 12 objections regarding financial mismanagement.
Allegations surfaced that during his tenure at the National Botanical Garden and Baldha Garden in Tikatuli, he was involved in embezzling BDT 200 million allocated for development projects.
A deep tube well installation, which cost BDT 3 million, was falsely reported as costing over BDT 7.5 million.
He was also accused of misappropriating large sums through fraudulent paperwork, bill vouchers, and a falsified pond excavation project.
Instead of facing consequences, he was promoted to CF of the Dhaka Wildlife and Nature Conservation Region, allegedly due to his close ties with former Deputy Minister for Forests Habibun Nahar.
Recently, 20 foresters working in the Forest Department filed formal complaints with the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Forest Secretary, and the CCF, seeking an investigation into Mollah Rezaul Karim’s corrupt activities and his autocratic behavior.
Reports suggest that Mollah Rezaul Karim’s involvement in bribery began early in his career during his training period as Range Officer of the Kaptai Range in the South Forest Division of Rangamati.
He allegedly pocketed substantial sums by selling teak plantations in Kaptai.
A former Assistant Conservator of Forests, Shahabuddin, filed a written complaint against him, but his illegal activities continued.
While serving as the DFO of Feni, he was accused of embezzling funds from afforestation and eco-park projects.
CCF Yunus Ali recommended departmental action against him, but the proposal was allegedly buried in exchange for a large bribe, facilitated by then-Forestry Minister Hasan Mahmud.
While serving as the DFO of the Bagerhat Division, Mollah Rezaul Karim was also accused of misappropriating significant funds from an eco-park construction project in Pirojpur during the Awami League government’s tenure.
A former CCF, speaking anonymously, confirmed that investigations were conducted into the corruption allegations against Mollah Rezaul Karim.
The findings provided concrete evidence of his financial irregularities, and a proposal for departmental action was submitted to the ministry. However, the proposal never saw the light of day.
In response to the allegations, Mollah Rezaul Karim denied all accusations, calling them baseless. He argued that it was impossible for him to have committed such extensive corruption within just a few months of assuming office.