Corrupt syndicate active inside DoS

Staff Reporter :
A strong corrupt syndicate has been active inside the Department of Shipping (DoS) for a long time hampering normal working environment. And as a result, most officials of the department are in a state fear to perform their duties as per the set rules.

According to multiple sources inside the DoS, in face of undercover threats from the syndicate members many officials have been failing to discharge their duties maintaining rules and regulations. The officials are afraid of losing their jobs or transfer if they don’t fulfill the demands of syndicate members.

Earlier, three chief engineers of the DoS-AKM Fakhrul Islam, SM Nazmul Haque and Mirza Syfur Rahman-were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on allegations of taking bribe.
The sources claimed that this syndicate had played a role in implicating the chief engineers by the ACC.

The syndicate’s latest victims were former director general of the DoS Commodore Nizamul Haque and and Director Badrul Hasan Liton.
After receiving complaints from various quarters regarding the involvement of the officials concerned for massive financial irregularities in the 2020-21 fiscal year of a project under the Department of Shipping to install lighthouses and coastal radio stations along the coastline, the then Director General of the DoS, Commodore Nizamul Haque, formed a four-member internal audit committee on April 10 this year.
The committee led by Badrul Hasan Liton, former Director of the DoS, submitted the report on April 21, following which the government started taking action, including the suspension and transfer of several officials.

According to the report, not all the bills for the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23 are available, but many discrepancies have been found after reviewing the insufficient bills. The report commented that the Bills PPR-2008, delegation of government financial powers and government regulations including circulars of the Ministry of Finance were not properly followed.
According to the audit report, huge irregularities were found in the financial expenditure of the project at various stages during audit period.

The audit probe committee did not get the necessary cooperation from the office of the project director and the Office of the Audit and Accounting Officer of the ministry.
Even despite the oral instructions of the Comptroller General, the officials concerned did not provide sufficient information to the internal audit committee, the report said.
However, the government returned Commodore Nizamul Haque to Bangladesh Navy from DoS and Badrul Hasan Liton, deputy secretary of the government, was transferred to other organisation.