Anti-Corruption Commission issued a notice to Bangladesh Water Development Board Director General Md Shahidur Rahman yesterday for his alleged involvement in freedom fighter certificate forgery.
ACC Assistant Director Selina Akhter issued the notice to the DG, asking him to be present at the ACC headquarters on November 20 at 10am, said a source in the ACC.
The job tenure of Shahidur expired in December 2013 but he allegedly extended his retirement age posing himself as a freedom fighter. He submitted a forged freedom fighter certificate and was accordingly promoted to the post of DG of the WDB on February 19 this year.
On April 25, 2010, the WDB sent a list of 160 freedom fighters to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, asking it to verify if their certificates were real.
The ministry in reply sent approval for 32 freedom fighters. The remaining 128 included the name of the incumbent DG.
Shahidur in his documents said he had taken part in the Liberation War in Sector 2 led by commander Major Haider. But the ministry did not find any proof of his involvement in the Liberation War.
DG Shahidur Rahman joined the WDB as an assistant engineer in 1977.
The ACC is now also scrutinising if he has any illegal assets.
Meanwhile, the anti-graft body launched inquiry against two more high officials of the government – Main Uddin Khandakar, member of the Public Service Commission and a former additional secretary of the home and public administration ministries, and Sheikh Hemayet Hossain Miah, chief additional inspector general of Armed Police Battalion – to look into forgery allegations of their freedom fighter certificates.
Main Uddin also allegedly extended his job tenure in 2010 by showing himself as a freedom fighter. He was made the PSC member in April 2014 when he was on post retirement leave.
Hemayet Hossain, who was only 10 years old in 1971 according to his date of birth of 1960, also allegedly expanded his job tenure submitting forged freedom fighter certificate.
The commission on October 23 launched an inquiry against Hemayet over the allegation of obtaining freedom fighter certificate through forgery.
Hemayet was asked to submit documents, including dossier, personal data sheet, and freedom fighter certificate, by November 16.
But the commission has yet to receive any kind of document from him.
However, the police official told this reporter that he had not received any notice from the ACC through the police headquarters.
A source said the commission had already found proofs of the involvement of the two government officials in the certificate forgery.
