Md Saifuz Zaman Chunnu, who joined the Public Works Division (PWD) in 2012, has allegedly established a realm of corruption right via the last decade, amassing a fortune price a whole bunch of crores.
In the intervening time serving as the government engineer of PWD’s Faridpur Division, Chunnu faces severe allegations, including illegally awarding contracts to favoured contractors and exerting dominance in place of delivery dealings.
His colleagues direct that Chunnu has impulsively received wealth via quite a lot of immoral practices, forming a syndicate in PWD. One of his most smartly-most widespread contractors changed into Hasan Molla, notorious for firing on college students right via the July protests.
Moreover, residents of his village dispute Chunnu unlawfully seized land to make two brick kilns in Kamlapur, Patuakhali, in violation of environmental rules, whereas declaring diversified properties below quite a lot of names.
There are also allegations that his father, Abdus Salam Mridha, spent crores to develop into chairman of the Kamalapur Union Parishad, with claims of bribing Awami League leaders.
On 2 September, a local of his home home submitted a criticism to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), urging an investigation into Chunnu’s alleged corruption amounting to Tk2,000 crore.
An ACC official confirmed this, and on the condition of anonymity, told TBS, “We have got got complaints regarding Chunnu. We’re currently reviewing the allegations, and cramped print will almost definitely be shared as soon as an investigation is initiated.”
This correspondent also obtained a duplicate of the criticism.
No topic these severe allegations, Chunnu changed into transferred from the Dhaka PWD Division–4 to Faridpur on 17 September, factual two months after a outdated reassignment.
TBS investigation has learned that Chunnu’s accrued wealth entails two brickfields named Al Nahian and New Nahian in Patuakhali Sadar, a two-storey home on Patuakhali College Toll road, and at the least 10 acres of land in his home home of South Dharandi village of Kamalapur Union.
He also owns a garment showroom named Nexus in Patuakhali, a 10-katha jam in Savar, and two apartments on Central Toll road and Bailey Toll road in Dhaka. In addition, he possesses diversified quite a lot of property registered below quite a lot of names.
Hasibul Islam, a resident of Chunnu’s village in Dharandi, told TBS, “Chunnu’s family had nothing. Over the past 15 years, right via the Awami League’s rule, they’ve develop into extremely smartly off. Chunnu constructed a college in entrance of his home and used it to persuade native elections.”
Locals beget also said that after the tumble of the outdated authorities, Chunnu despatched his sister and brother-in-rules, Zobair Hossain Russell, to Canada, allegedly using them to facilitate the transfer of greenbacks in a foreign country.
Russell contested in parliamentary elections from the BNF in Baufal, Patuakhali, and previously served as a secretary for the Patuakhali Swechchaasebak League.
Chunnu denies the whole allegations, claiming that they are fragment of a conspiracy to frame him.
He told TBS, “Now not one amongst the claims being made are factual. The brickfields, homes, and land are all inherited property.”
In terms of his father’s chairmanship, he said, “My father has contested seven elections and is a major of the BNP, serving as the union president and the district vice president. Other folks elected him chairman out of their affection for him.”
He did now not philosophize on the allegations of sending his sister and brother-in-rules to Canada.
His brother-in-rules might possibly well perchance furthermore now not be contacted whereas locals dispute fled after the tumble of Hasina authorities.
Reference to Molla
On 16 July, right via the student protests, a helmeted individual changed into considered firing directly at school students at Dhaka College. The individual changed into later identified as contractor Hasan Molla. Following the tumble of the outdated authorities, Molla went into hiding.
Lots of PWD officers said a collaboration between Chunnu and Hasan Molla started whereas Chunnu changed into working in Dhaka Division-4.
Molla, a local from Gopalganj with close ties to the Awami League, helped quilt up Chunnu’s misdeeds in commerce for lucrative contracts, they said. No topic basically failing to ship on initiatives, Chunnu ensured Hasan got payments, which they then damage up.
A PWD engineer told TBS that whereas in Division-4, Chunnu assigned Molla the upkeep work for Mugda Sanatorium.
“Despite the truth that payments were made, the work remains incomplete. Molla changed into also given initiatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but these too were now not smartly accomplished. No topic the lack of progress, there had been no issues with invoice payments for Molla,” he added.
PWD sources said Molla, as the total secretary of the Dhaka PWD Contractors Association, has embezzled hundreds and hundreds in public funds with the complicity of native officers. Names of quite a lot of quite a lot of implicated officers beget also emerged, leading to ongoing investigations.
In terms of Molla, Chunnu said, “I changed into most interesting there [Division-4] for one one year, whereas Hasan Mollah has been there for 15 years. How might possibly well perchance furthermore I be fragment of a syndicate with him? A neighborhood is spreading these falsehoods in opposition to me; every thing they dispute is spurious.”
Complaints at PWD
Chunnu is supposed to beget constructed an huge network of corruption inner the PWD, allegedly amassing illegal property price a whole bunch of crores via quite a lot of kinds of misconduct, including recruitment, transfers, cushy manipulation, and embezzling funds for initiatives that were never performed.
Whereas serving as the government engineer of the Mirpur Division, Chunnu awarded a contract to a constructing agency to renovate the PWD Coaching Heart (Outdated) in Mirpur, as per documents obtained by TBS.
On the opposite hand, on 23 August of final one year, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works got complaints of embezzlement and irregularities, as no work had been performed whatever the distributed funds for the 2022-23 fiscal one year.
In 2022, whereas restful within the Mirpur Division, Chunnu got Tk12 crore for 176 work requests. There are allegations that resulting from the comparatively original condition of most constructions within the residential home, he learned restricted alternatives to utilise these funds, allegedly embezzling an even portion as a exchange.
