A Chittagong court yesterday sent Yousuf Ali Mridha, former general manager (GM) of Bangladesh Railway (BR) East Zone, to jail in relation to five cases filed in connection with irregularities in recruitment.
Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge SM Mojibur Rahman passed the order when Mridha surrendered before the court after absconding for more than one and a half years, said Omar Fuad, bench assistant of the court.
Mahmudul Haque Mahmud, prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Commission, said Mridha was accused in 13 cases which were lodged in September, 2012, and February, 2013, regarding irregularities in the recruitment process for various posts at BR (East).
The court issued a warrant for his arrest in relation to five cases, charge-sheets for which have been submitted, he said.
“Mridha surrendered before the court in the cases related to irregularities in the recruitment for the positions of fuel checker, assistant chemist, train number checker, tool keeper and ticket issuer posts. He pleaded for bail, which was rejected by the court,” he added.
Sources at BR said the east zone put out seven advertisements in October and November 2010 to fill 3,419 vacant posts in 38 categories.
Border Guard Bangladesh personnel seized Tk70 lakh from the car of Omar Faruk, the former assistant personal secretary of the then railways minister Suranjit Sengupta, on April 9, 2012. Mridha and Railway Nirapatta Bahini Dhaka Divisional Commandant Enamul Haque were in the car.
Suranjit Sengupta resigned following the incident and Omar Faruk was suspended. Mridha and Enamul were also suspended temporarily.
