Islampur upazila administration has seized 27,660kg of gratuitous relief (GR) and Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) rice allotted in the name of Gualerchar union chairman under Islampur upazila of Jamalpur.
At about 12:30am on Tuesday night, the upazila admission seized 922 sacks of government rice each weighing 30kg from a warehouse called Meem Enterprise in South Dariabad area of the municipal town.
The administration has sealed the warehouse after seizing the rice.
However, the chairman claimed that as there is no permanent building of the union council, the rice has been kept in the warehouse for distribution.
According to the upazila administration and local sources, Gualerchar union council chairman Harun Ur Rashid collected 600 sacks of GR rice weighing 30 kg each and 322 sacks of VGD rice weighing 30 kg and stored in a warehouse named Meem Enterprise in Dariabad area of Islampur municipality owned by upazila Awami League Labor Secretary SM Jahangir Alam.
According to information provided by the National Security Intelligence Agency (NSI), the upazila administration conducted a raid on the warehouse in the early hours of Tuesday.
During the operation, 18,000 kg of GR and 9,660 kg of VGD rice were seized. Later the warehouse was sealed.
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Islampur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Mizanur Rahman confirmed the matter.
Asked whether the rice was kept in the warehouse for sale to Kalobari, he said a five-member inquiry committee would be announced on Tuesday.
If the committee finds the chairman guilty through investigation, legal action will be taken against him.
Gualerchar union council Chairman Harunur Rashid Harun said: “Since my union does not have a permanent building, VGF, VGD and GR rice have been distributed from here for a long time by renting a warehouse called Meem Enterprise. So this time GR and VGD rice had been kept in that warehouse for distribution.”
Warehouse owner Jahangir Alam said Gualchar’s union council chairman had been renting his warehouse for four years to store government goods, including rice. Afterwards, he would take it from there and distribute.
“I am not involved in the incident in any way,” he said.
