HC ORDER: Investigate Tk50cr scam in National Blind Organisation

Staff Reporter :

The High Court has directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate alleged financial corruption amounting to at least Tk 50 crore within the National Blind Organisation an institution established over 70 years ago.

The order follows a writ petition (Writ No. 15017/2024) filed by Minhaz Uddin, a former president of the organization, after the ACC allegedly failed to act on a complaint lodged in 2021. That complaint was filed on behalf of blind members of the organization, citing large-scale financial irregularities.

According to sources, the complaint, submitted on May 31, 2021, accused Ayub Ali, the then general secretary, of allocating shops at the Blind Market near the Savar Municipality bus stand through irregular means and embezzling crores of taka in rental income. It further alleged that the misappropriated funds were not deposited into the organization’s account.

Minhaz also objected to the renaming of the organization as the “National Visually Impaired Organization,” which he claims was done without due consultation or approval from the general members.

Despite the initial complaint, the ACC did not initiate any probe for nearly three years. As a result, Minhaz filed the writ petition in 2024, prompting the High Court to intervene. The Court instructed the ACC to complete its investigation and take appropriate action within 15 working days—a deadline that has since lapsed without any visible progress.

Following the court’s order, Minhaz sent a letter to the ACC Chairman on March 25, urging immediate and effective action. However, he has yet to receive confirmation that the investigation has begun.

In his letter, Minhaz warned that continued inaction may have allowed the scale of corruption to rise to over Tk 100 crore over the past four years. He emphasized that a timely and thorough investigation, as directed by the Court, could uncover deeper systemic issues.

He also stressed that rooting out corruption in the organization would bring significant relief to the blind community, many of whom are living in poverty and enduring dire conditions.