Shipping Ministry starts probe against DoS officials

Staff Reporter :
The probe committee formed by the Shipping Ministry on Sunday heard statement of the ‘Establishment of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System and Integrated Maritime Navigation System (EGIMNS) Project’s Project Director Abu Sayed Mohammad Delowar Rahman, also a nautical surveyor and examiner of the Department of Shipping (DoS), about the obstacles of the project and his allegations submitted against the Director General of the Department of Shipping Commodore Md Nizamul Haque.

On Tuesday, other project officials will give their statement to the probe committee. In this regards, the probe committee has already given letters to the relevant project officials. After getting deposition of the project officials, the contractors and sub-contractors of the project will give their statement, according to the probe committee sources.

According to multiple sources of the Shipping Ministry, a written allegation was so far submitted by the South Korean embassy in Bangladesh to the Secretary of the ministry.

Shipping Ministry’s Additional Secretary Sanjoy Kumar Banik, also head of the five-member probe committee, on Sunday told this correspondent that after hearing all stakeholders including project officials, local and Korean contractors and sub-contractors about the allegations, DG Shipping Commodore Md Nizamul Haque will be called to give his statement about the allegations.

“We have just started hearing all parties. We will try to submit probe report within 10 working days given by the ministry. But, if we need more times, we will request the ministry to extend times later,” he added.

Earlier on April 26, the Shipping Ministry formed the probe body to find out reasons for inner conflict and identify the irregularities and corruptions in its EGIMNS Project and investigate the allegations of misusing the power and giving works to his associates and relatives raised against the Director General of the DG Shipping.