A Commerce Ministry official has been closed and again attached to the ministry as he allegedly took bribes from job candidates.
Md Shahidul Haque, controller at Dhaka office of the Office of Chief Controller of Imports and Exports under the ministry, was seen receiving bribes on a number of occasions from people seeking employment in a video.
The video, recorded at Shahidul’s Motijheel office in the capital, was recently uploaded on Facebook anonymously.
It also showed Shahidul counting notes, bargaining with candidates over the amount of bribe and putting the money in the pocket of his trousers as well as in a drawer.
“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy concerning any act of corruption. That is why we immediately took action and closed Shahidul based on the allegation,” Senior Commerce Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
He said action against the accused would be taken based on the findings of an ongoing investigation.
“The probe committee will submit a report very soon. If Shahidul is found guilty of taking bribes, he will be subjected to punitive measures as per the law.”
The probe committee, formed by the government, is headed by Md Sadar Ali Biswas, joint secretary of the Commerce Ministry.
The incident was broadly discussed during the monthly meeting of the ministry’s coordination committee, which saw the video and also read media reports on this.
Shahidul began working in the public sector back in 1985 and has held key positions at the Commerce Ministry, the Tariff Commission and the Export Promotion Bureau throughout his career.
