Dhaka, Oct 18 (V7N) – The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) today filed a case against eight people, including former Information Ministers Hasanul Haq Inu and Hasan Mahmud, on charges of causing financial loss to the state by misappropriating Taka 7 crore for the construction of a bronze mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman under a project at Bangladesh Betar.

The case was filed at the ACC's Integrated District Office, Dhaka-1, under Sections 409 and 109 of the Penal Code, as well as Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.

Other accused in the case include former Directors General of Bangladesh Betar AKM Neshar Uddin Bhuiyan and Narayan Chandra Shil, Deputy Station Engineer Mohammad Abdur Rahman, former Senior Engineer Md Zakir Hossain, Project Steering Committee Chairperson and Acting Secretary Md Nasir Uddin Ahmed, and Project Director Prabal Kanti Das.

The case was filed by Md Mostafizur Rahman, an Assistant Director at the ACC.

According to the case statement, the construction of a mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was included in the project titled "Relocation of the Bangladesh Betar Shahbag Complex to Agargaon, Dhaka; Construction and Modernization (Phase 1) Second Revision" even though it was not an essential component of the project. It is alleged that this action signifies an abuse of power and criminal misconduct, resulting in financial loss to the government.

The FIR stated that on August 24, 2014, Kazi Zakir Hasan and Malay Kumar Ganguly, representing the artists of the 'Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra', submitted a request to install a sculpture of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bangladesh Betar centre in Agargaon. Subsequently, on April 21, 2016, officials at Bangladesh Betar decided to seek administrative approval and prepare a design for the construction of a sculpture complex dedicated to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman within the National Radio Building. On May 19 of the same year, the then Director General, AKM Neshar Uddin Bhuiyan, forwarded a proposal to the Ministry of Information, recommending administrative approval for the project.

According to the FIR, during a meeting at the Ministry of Information on December 31, 2017, it was directed that the project be revised to include the installation of a mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and that this proposal be submitted to the project's steering committee. Thereafter, in a meeting of the project steering committee held on January 9, 2018, a proposal was put forward to allocate Tk 7 crore for the construction of the mural. On January 24 of the same year, a decision to install a mural under the project was reached during a meeting to review the progress of the Annual Development Programme, chaired by the then-Minister of Information Hasanul Haq Inu. Subsequently, at a meeting of the project steering committee on February 28, it was decided to include the installation of the mural in the project and to prepare a cost estimate for it.

The ACC case statement further noted that on May 7, 2019, the official cost estimate for the construction of the bronze mural was set at Tk 5,77,62,000. Later, on January 14, 2020, the project director, Probal Kanti Das, issued a work order for the project through a tender process at a cost of Tk 5,78,34,000. On December 9 of that year, the design of the mural was approved during a meeting chaired by the then-Minister of Information Dr Hasan Mahmud.

According to the case statement, the contractor who received the work order completed the task and, by June 12, 2024, had received a total of Taka 6,64,94,000 through nine separate bills.

However, the case statement mentioned that during the ACC's inquiry, an on-site inspection at the Bangladesh Betar centre in Agargaon revealed no trace of any mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It further stated that the investigation indicated the accused, acting in collusion, caused financial loss to the government by including the construction of the mural in the project even though it was not an essential component, thereby inflating project costs and facilitating payments.

The case was filed following approval from the ACC's headquarters. The case statement also noted that if any other individuals are found to be involved during the course of the investigation, they will also be brought under the purview of the law.