They had no involvement with implementing the integrated development projects in the Hatirjheel area, including Begunbari canal, of the capital. Yet, 16 senior government officials went abroad to take training in China, Vietnam, South Korea, Croatia and the Netherlands.
The authorities also refrained from mentioning the training issue in the project completion report. According to government orders, the officials in question made the tours in five phases between 2012 and 2016, causing the state to lose Tk66,66,672.
These facts have emerged in the final audit report of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
According to the report submitted in November 2022, these officials were engaged in administrative work in various ministries and were not technologically knowledgeable persons. They did not have the opportunity to use the acquired knowledge to implement the project. As a result, there was no benefit in training these 16 officers abroad.
Those trained in China and Vietnam are the then joint head of the Planning Commission Md Sayedul Haque; Deputy Secretary of the Economic Relations Department (ERD) Mohammad Shamsul Alam; Executive Magistrate Saudiul Islam Bhuiyan; and Housing and Public Works Ministry's Assistant Chief Animesh Soum and Protocol Officer Mallik Mohammad Enamul Haque. A government order was issued in their names on June 28, 2012.
In line with another order of the same date, Deputy Chief of the Planning Commission Moinul Islam Titas traveled to China and Vietnam. He was accompanied by Assistant Chief Abu Bakar Md Tawheed and ERD Senior Assistant Secretary Md Akramuzzaman.
In the third step, on July 17, 2013, another office order was issued to visit China and Vietnam for Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works Md Abu Masud, Assistant Private Secretary to the Minister Md Asaduzzaman and Assistant Director of Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Department (IMED) Abdullah Al Masud.
On March 16, 2016, the order for the visit to China and South Korea was issued in the name of IMED's Sheikh Nazrul Islam and Planning Commission's SM Golam Ali.
In the last step, the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works visited the Netherlands and Croatia. Mahamudul Haque, Fahimul Islam, Joint Secretary of Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Department and AAM Kamruzzaman, Deputy Head of Planning Commission.
What was found in the audit?
According to the audit report of the financial year 2018-2019, the 16 officials were not involved with the project. The details of their training were also not included in the project's final report.
During the audit, it was found that the expenditure on the training of the officials engaged in the project was Tk1.5 crore. A copy of the government order given in support of the training shows that 36 officers attended the training abroad. Among them, 16 officers were not involved in the implementation of this project.
Seeking an explanation, the audit report was sent to the ministry's secretary on November 11 in 2020. Another letter was sent on March 18 in 2021, seeking information on the irregularities. But the ministry has not come up with any conclusive response.
The recommendation part of the audit states that it is necessary to collect the amount (Tk66,66,672) from the persons responsible for wasting public money.
What are the authorities saying?
Asked about this, Housing and Public Works Ministry Secretary Kazi Washi Uddin said: "All our audit objections have been resolved. I do not know about this matter. I can tell you by looking at the file.”
Since the audit determined a person's personal responsibility and that those who went abroad were wrongful, “they have to return the money, " he added.
“Even if someone retires, there is scope to make him liable, as he gets a pension,” the official said.
Abuse of power
Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh Dr Iftekharuzzaman said it was not surprising that irregularities had taken place in this project.
“It has now become a reality. Including training programs abroad and arranging foreign travel by some officials without having any association with the project is commonplace nowadays…they will abuse their power and go abroad.”
He demanded that the authorities consider the incident an offence and ensure exemplary punishment to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
