The top officials of the Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB) embezzled some Tk 181 crore in the name of various fake expenses including purchases, seminars, workshops, and training.
According to the Audit Inspection Report (AIR) of 2018-19, and 2020-2021 by the Rural Development and Co-operatives Division, the then-top officials of BRDB have embezzled Tk 181 crore including Tk 159 crore expired defaulted loans which they were unwilling to collect.
A four-member audit team led by the Directorate of Local Government and Rural Development Audit DCGS Ayesha Siddique prepared the report by visiting the BRDB head office, four projects, and three district field offices from March 29 to June 2 this year.
The audit report has recently been submitted to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives.
In the report, the audit team identified 14 types of irregularities and corruption against income-expenditure, fund, and budget allocation of 21 sections of the organisation. These are-- not preparing a proper annual report, not depositing bank interest to the state exchequer, embezzling collected instalment money, irregular transfer of money from the main account to other accounts, not submitting collected income tax and VAT to the state exchequer, expense money in the name if meeting-seminar and training, not to submit unused money to state exchequer after fiscal year, giving festival bonuses and new year allowance to outsourcing manpower, more purchasing breaking ceiling limit of PPR rules, repair cars defying Delegation of Financial Powers and not to collect expired defaulted loans.
An example of a fake workshop: BRDB organised a daylong workshop titled ‘Bangabandhu is the Architect of the Liberty’ at its conference room in the capital on April 5, 2020. BRDB Director General Supriyo Kumar Kundu presided over the meeting while Director (Planning) S M Masudur Rahman, Director Abdur Rashid, Director (Training) Ismail Hossain and 38 other officials were present. Although the workshop started at 3 pm, it showed Tk 33, 345 as lunch expenses bought from Charulata restaurant in Kawranbazar. In reality, all shops and restaurants in the capital including Charulata remained closed due to the strict lockdown imposed by the government. The BRDB head office also remained closed on that day. Thanks to the top management of the organisation for arranging such a well-managed fake workshop.
Another fake purchase: On August 20, 2022, BRBD arranged a discussion marking August 15, the National Mourning Day. It purchased four pens, four pads and four folders costing Tk 21,996 which means the organisers expensed Tk 5,499 for every pen, pad and folder.
The government imposed a strict lockdown from March 27 to June 30 in 2020 due to the sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. All government offices remained closed during the period. BRDB officials have embezzled Tk 35 lakh 64,830 showing fake bill-vouchers like April 5 during the three-month lockdown period.
The audit report said the then-BRDB top officials were responsible for this looting of the people’s money.
Contacted over the phone, former BRDB Director General Supriyo Kumar Kundu told Bangladesh Pratidin that they had worked and organised some workshops and training during the lockdown period.
“We have worked during lockdown by the instruction of the higher authority to keep the BRDB vibrant. We had reached incentives of the Prime Minister to the marginalised people and arranged training, workshops and seminars.”
When questioned about the Audit Inspection Report (AIR) of 2018-19, and 2020-2021 by the Rural Development and Co-operatives Division and corruption of Tk 181 crore, Supriyo Kumar said he couldn’t say anything before seeing files and cut the telephone line.
@ The article was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on October 22, 2022 and has been rewritten in English by Golam Rosul.
