DoS DG Nizamul withdrawn, Maksud new DG

Staff Reporter :
Director General (DG) of the Department of Shipping (DoS) under the Ministry of Shipping Commodore Md. Nizamul Haque was withdrawn from his office on Sunday and sent back to his previous post in Bangladesh Navy as per the recommendation of the probe committee constituted against him and others.

Meanwhile, the Public Administration Ministry, in an office order, said Commodore Mohammad Maksud Alam will replace Nizamul Haque as DG DoS.

The probe committee formed by the Shipping ministry has found all the seven allegations brought against the DG of DoS true. The committee, during the investigation, also unearthed proofs of lack of coordination in the activities of the Project Director of EGIMNS Project under the ministry side by side with some allegations against
the Samhee Construction, a Korean construction firm, appointed for implementing the project works.

In the report submitted on May 9, the probe body head Sanjoy Kumar Banik, also an Additional Secretary to the ministry, suggested forming a technical committee to examine the allegations of financial irregularities in the project.

Earlier on last Thursday, Director of the DoS Badrul Hasan Liton, also a Deputy Secretary to the administration, was transferred to Water Resources Planning Organisation (WARPO) under the Water Resources Ministry for the same reasons.

Following issuance of the transfer orders of the DG and Director of the DoS, the concerned officials and employees have expressed their satisfaction over the actions taken by the government.

In the probe report, the DoS DG was blamed for appointing sub-contractors forcibly at the sites of the ‘Establishment of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System and Integrated Maritime Navigation System (EGIMNS) Project’ which helped him processtender illegally and blockthe project sites by outsiders to hamper implementation of the project works.

However, all the allegations the DoS DG brought against the PD Abu Sayeed Mohammad Delowar Rahman were proved false. But, the probe body found lacks of coordination in the activities of the PD.

The Shipping Ministry formed the probe committee to investigate corrupt practices in the EGIMNS Project, reasons for inner conflict, misuse of power, and awarding work orders to associates and relatives of the DoS DG, the Project Director and the Samhee Construction Limited, on April 26 this year.

After examining necessary evidences and written statements from all stakeholders of the projects, the committee submitted its report to the ministry’s Secretary Mostafa Kamal on May 9.

The two-year EGIMNS Project was taken in 2014 to install lighthouses and radio stations at Dublarchar under Bagerhat, Dhalchar under Bhola, Nijhumdweep under Noakhali and Kuakata under Patuakhali districts and modernizing three old lighthouses and radio stations in Cox’s Bazar, Saint Martins’ and Kutubdia islands for providing assistance to inland and coastal vessels at a cost of around Tk 370.89 crore. But, the project work started in 2018 after removing all difficulties.

During the period, the project schedules were extended thrice raising the costto Tk 779.49 crore.