Municipal chairman faces action for corruption

A letter from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) to this effect, issued on July 28, reached the municipal office recently, official sources said yesterday. The action was taken as allegations against him were proved, they said.

The official letter said that a probe body investigated the charges and found that the allegations were based on fact.

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Earlier, the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Ministry, after investigation, sent a letter to the LGRD ministry recommending action against him for the irregularity.

When contacted, Mizanur Rahman Biplob claimed that the action against him was politically motivated and that he would go to court.

The CHT Affairs Ministry, following allegations by Bandarban municipal commissioners, had ordered the probe. During investigation, it found that the municipal chairman misappropriated 200 tonnes of food grains allotted for development works.

The CHT ministry in a letter (No 1/03/2002/501(3) issued on May 6 this year also asked him to refund Tk 23 lakh, equivalent to the price of the misappropriated food grains. But he neither refunded the money not replied to the letter, the sources said.

The Local Government Division had also issued a showcause notice on the Municipal chairman. The suspension order was issued as he did not reply to the showcause notice, the sources said.

They said the food grains were allotted against 48 development projects in the municipal area.

Investigation by a team led by a Joint Secretary level official detected that the projects were not implemented and the food grains were misappropriated, the sources said.

Mizanur Rahman Biplob was elected chairman of Banadarban municipality last year with Awami League support.

Bandarban district Awami League (AL) earlier sent a proposal to the party high command for action against Biplob for his alleged involvement in corrupt practices, AL sources said.