Dhaka Wasa has denied allegations of corruption in its projects involving thousands of crores of taka.
In a public notice issued on Friday, Wasa said there was no chance of corruption in the projects due to strict monitoring and adherence to international standards.
The notice criticized the media for publishing a series of reports on “false allegations of so-called” corruption and asked aggrieved persons to submit evidence and related documents to its office. It assured complainants that their identities would be kept secret.
According to media reports, the allegations include corruption in some projects worth over Tk3,000 crore, illegal appointments, unauthorized promotions, and embezzlement of funds.
Dhaka Wasa acting managing director AKM Shahid Uddin said: “We have zero tolerance of corruption. So, we ask that all allegations be shared with us with evidence.”
“We will also send a letter to the respective media that published allegations against Dhaka Wasa to submit their documents and evidence, if they have any,” he added.
On October 26, Wasa formed a six-member committee to investigate corruption allegations published in various media outlets. The probe body was asked to submit its report in 15 working days.
“Dhaka Wasa is a transparent organization and so we have formed the committee to check the facts,” said AKM Shahid Uddin.
“There is no illegal appointment in Dhaka Wasa and no embezzlement of funds,” he added.
On July 31, architect Mobasher Hossain filed a writ petition on behalf of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) challenging the inaction of the Wasa Board of Directors in removing Taqsem A Khan from the post of managing director.
The writ claimed the Wasa MD was drawing extra salary and allowances which were in violation of rules.
On October 11, Appellate Division Chamber Judge Borhan Uddin upheld a High Court order seeking a report on how much money Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan had received as salary, bonuses and other facilities in the last 13 years.
The High Court on August 17 had ordered the Wasa Board to submit the report within 60 days.
Earlier on June 23, a complaint was filed against nine people, including Dhaka Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan, on charges of embezzling Tk132 crore from Dhaka Wasa Employees Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited.
The cooperative's general secretary, Shahab Uddin Sarkar, filed the complaint with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.
The others named in the complaint were Dhaka Wasa engineer Sharmin Haque Amir, former revenue inspector Md Mizanur Rahman, engineer Md Aktaruzzaman, revenue inspector Zakir Hossain, engineer Badrul Alam, former Janata Bank DGM Shyamal Biswas, Deputy Secretary Sheikh Enayet Ullah and Deputy Chief Accounting Officer Salekur Rahman.
After hearing the complaint, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ashek Imam issued an order suggesting the complainant file a case with a relevant court as such offences were probed into by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said the plaintiff's lawyer, Manzur Alam.
The court had also returned the documents of the complaint, he added.
According to the allegation, Dhaka WASA Employees Multipurpose Cooperative Society received Tk99.65 crore between July 16, 2017, and June 30, 2018, from the water authority as commission for their revenue collection work.
Apart from this, the cooperative also received Tk34.18 crore for the same work during 2018 and 2019, said the plaintiff.
Of the amount, Tk1.79 crore was deposited in the association's account from the 2017 to 2018 fiscal years, but the remaining Tk132.4 crore from six banks was embezzled, allegedly by those named in the complaint, through different cheques.
The complainant claimed his allegations had been proven through a Department of Cooperatives' audit.
Taqsem is currently on leave till November 4. He had been given six weeks' leave to receive treatment in the US from September 24.
The Wasa MD had requested to be permitted to continue discharging his duties virtually, but his request was denied and AKM Shahid Uddin was named acting Wasa managing director.