High-level committee to probe bribery allegations over DC appointment
He said the committee will be established to ensure a comprehensive examination of all complaints, irrespective of the report's accuracy
A high-level committee will be formed to investigate the allegations of bribery regarding the appointment of district commissioners (DCs) that surfaced in the media.
Shafiqul Alam, the press secretary to the chief adviser, came up with the announcement at a press conference in Dhaka on Thursday (3 October).
"We are looking into how credible the report is. We believe in freedom of the press. A high-level committee will be formed. We will investigate whether the report was accurate and look into the allegations that have been raised," he said.
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A controversy arose after the daily Kalbela reported on 24 September that businessman Mirza Sabed Ali had offered a Tk3 crore cheque to a joint secretary in the public administration ministry to secure the appointment of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Director Md Abdul Awal as DC of Naogaon.
On Thursday, the newspaper published another report on a WhatsApp chat in which Mokhlesur Rahman, senior secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, requested Tk5 crore for a DC appointment while a joint secretary offered double that amount, Tk10 crore.
Meanwhile, Mokhlesur termed the news item fake and said he was not giving any importance to the news.
"The phone mentioned in the news is an iPhone. Do I use an iPhone? I use a Samsung [phone]. Ask them who showed them this information. I come from a middle-class family. I don't even use the mobile phone provided by the government; I use my own number," he said during the press briefing.
Mokhlesur also said that three steps have already been taken. A letter has been sent to the Ministry of Information to take action against those involved, he said.
Additionally, a letter has been sent to the home secretary to arrest the person who issued the "fake cheque", Mokhlesur said. He also noted that the Bangladesh Bank has been requested to take necessary measures to prevent the opening of such fake accounts.
"Anyone can say anything. We serve the public in our roles within the government. I will continue my work as long as Allah wills," he added.
