Officials facing ACC cases recommended for Petrobangla director posts

Staff Reporter :
Two Petrobangla officials, who allegedly embezzled a total of Tk 2,200 crore and are now facing cases with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), have been recommended for the post of director violating seniority.
Petrobangla Chairman Nazmul Ahsan has sent a proposal letter naming two officials for their appointment as director to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources on August 21. Later, the ministry sent the letter to the Ministry of Public Administration for the next course of action.
Petrobangla Chairman recommended Engineer Ali Iqbal Md. Nurullah and Engineer Md. Kamruzzaman Khan for the post of directors, who are now serving as current charge Director (Planning) and Director (Operation & Mines) respectively.
The government gave them the current charge on July 20 on condition that they will be returned to their previous post of General Manager and Managing Director respectively after appointment of full time Director of the said posts, as per documents.
However, three officials who deserve the post of Petrobangla Director on seniority basis are Abdul Mannan Patwary, Shankar Majumder and MA Majed.
These three officials are now serving in Paschimanchal Gas Company Limited (PGCL), Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Limited (BGDCL) and Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL), respectively.
According to documents obtained by The New Nation, a group of employees of the Petrobangla has sent a letter to the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration on October 3 (Entry number 1736) with a request not to appoint corrupt officials for the post of director.
It is alleged that Ali Iqbal Md. Nurullah allegedly embezzled Tk 700 crore when he was a Manager of Rupantarito Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL). It is alleged that he along with Managing Director and General Manager of RPGCL embezzled the money by stealing oil during his period in RPGCL.
The ACC has already completed the investigation and submitted the chargesheet, the documents said.
Besides, another ACC case was filed against Ali Iqbal Md. Nurullah for allegedly destroying a file in exchange of Tk 50 lakh as bribe. The ACC is now investigating the case filed on July 5 this year.
On the other hand, Md. Kamruzzaman Khan embezzled Tk 1,500 crore from Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited (BCMCL) when he was serving the company as its Managing Director.
The ACC is also investigating the case filed against Md. Kamruzzaman Khan.
According to employees of Petrobangla, they demanded of the ministry concerned to appoint honest and dynamic officials for the post of director instead of corrupt officials.
When contacted Petrobangla Chairman Nazmul Ahsan regarding the proposed officials’ names for the post of Director, he replied, “It is the matter of the approval of the highest officials of the government.”
“If there is any corruption case of the proposed officials with the ACC, it will be examined. Rules and regulation will be followed in this regard too,” he said in reply to a query to The New Nation.