Former managing director of the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, Taqsem A Khan, turned the institution into a den of corruption.
He created a syndicate by exerting influence during the Awami League rule. During Taqsem’s reign, Wasa provided substandard water in the name of service, and his office looted hundreds of crores of taka through corruption.
Although he resigned from Wasa on August 14, his circle of beneficiaries is still active there. There is intense dissatisfaction among the officers and employees of Wasa over the issue.
Sources told Bangla Tribune that the former MD looted money through his syndicate. If someone complained about the irregularity, the person would have to go through harassment, and some even lost their jobs. Various projects were assigned to junior officers following Taqsem’s orders. However, honest officials are still being deprived of their rights by his syndicate at the office.
Several officials of Dhaka Wasa complained and said that the former MD had turned Dhaka Wasa into a den of corruption. Chief Associate Staff Officer and Executive Engineer of Dhaka Water Supply Network Improvement Project Mohammad Badrul Alam, Executive Engineer (Collection Division-2) Md Zainal Abedin, Syedabad Water Treatment Plant Project Phase-3 Project Director (PD) Mostafizur Rahman, and Executive Engineer (Collection Section-1) Al Amin are the key members of the syndicate, officials alleged.
Taqsem himself made Mostafizur the PD by misusing his powers. There were at least six other senior officers for the job.
An executive engineer, on condition of anonymity, said, Taqsem A Khan made people belonging to his ring directors of various big projects and created a stronghold of corruption. No one could speak against their injustice. Another confidant of Taqsem, Al Amin, helped him embezzle a huge amount of money by hiring more than 1,000 people through outsourcing. They used to take a bribe of Tk3-5 lakh from the job seekers.
Another executive engineer said that everyone was helpless and there was no space for differences of opinion. No one could move an inch against the ring’s will. Although Taqsem has resigned, his syndicate members have not.
Shahabuddin Sarkar, general secretary of Dhaka Wasa Employees Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited, said that the former MD has left Dhaka Wasa, but his syndicate members are still there. They are looting public money. Especially the new MD AKM Shahid Uddin, Secretary Sharmin Haque Amir, Chief Engineer Mostafizur Rahman, Chief Revenue Officer Mostak Kamal Majumdar, Additional Civil Engineer Aktaruzzaman, deputy secretaries Shahida Kaniz and Enayet Abdullah, Badrul Alam, Dr Ali Jabed, Law Officer Zahidul Islam and Executive Engineer Zainal Abedin are known members of this ring.
If these people stay, then Dhaka Wasa will never be corruption-free, the official claimed.
Shahabuddin also said that other honest and ordinary employees are scared and unhappy as these corrupt officials are still working in their places. They say Dhaka Wasa could not provide the required service in the last 15 years. They alleged that this syndicate embezzled Tk332 crore from their association. They also looted money from various projects and siphoned it off.
Shahabuddin demanded that this ring be brought to justice soon so that the other officials can work in a corruption-free environment.
On October 14, 2023, Taqsem was appointed for a seventh term, beginning a new three-year tenure. He initially took on the role on October 14, 2009, shortly after the Awami League government assumed power.
Taqsem has long faced various allegations of corruption and irregularities. During his long tenure, Wasa's water price increased 16 times.
