The Anti-Corruption Commission summoned 12 individuals, including two former ACC commissioners, former secretaries, a former election commissioner, and retired judges, over allegations of irregularities in the allocation of 12 luxury flats in the capital鈥檚 Dhanmondi.
An ACC team, led by its assistant director Al Amin, is conducting an inquiry into the allegations of irregularities in the process of allotment of the 12 flats to the 12 former public servants during the rule of the ousted Awami League government.聽
The commission summoned the 12 individuals to appear at its headquarters at Segun Bagicha for recording their statements on September 17, 18, and 21 over the graft allegations.
Confirming the issuance of the summons, ACC director general (prevention) Md Akhter Hossain on Thursday said that questioning a graft suspect is a regular part of the inquiry process.
According to a notice, retired judge and former ACC commissioner Md Zahurul Haque, former senior secretary and former ACC commissioner Md Mozammel Haque Khan, former senior secretary Md Yunusur Rahman, and former secretary MA Kader Sarkar were asked to appear at the commission鈥檚 headquarters on September 17.
Those summoned by the commission also include former senior secretary M Aslam Alam, former secretary Akhtari Momtaz, former secretary Md Sirajul Haque Khan, retired senior district and sessions judge Md Manjurul Bashid, who were asked to appear on September 18.聽
The commission summoned former registrar general and retired senior district judge Syed Aminul Islam, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education鈥檚 former director general Professor Nehal Ahmed, former senior secretary and former election commissioner Md Anisur Rahman, and former senior secretary SM Golam Faruk to appear on September 21 at the ACC headquarters.聽
According to the allegations received by the commission, the 12 officials were 鈥榬ewarded鈥� with the flats during Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 tenure for their alleged role in 鈥榤anaging鈥� the controversial 2018 general election, in which accusations of 鈥榤idnight voting鈥� were widely reported.
On May 5, a private TV channel reported that the building at Dhanmondi Road 6, Plot 63, was constructed on government khas land having sky-high market value.
聽Allegations suggest that under direct instructions聽 from Sheikh Hasina, the land was handed over to the National Housing Authority to build a 14-storey building.
The building includes two duplex flats and two floors of underground parking. The duplex flats were allocated to former ACC commissioners Mozammel Hoque Khan and Zahurul Haque, while the remaining 10 flats went to other officials.
After the media report, the anti-graft body conducted a drive on May 12 and claimed to have found evidence supporting the allegations.
Later, early July, a two-member ACC probe team was formed, led by assistant director Al-Amin, in this regard.
The Ministry of Housing and Public Works stated that the irregularities occurred under the 鈥楬ousing Dhanmondi (Phase-1)鈥� project, where 18 flats were built at House 711 (new no. 63), Road 13 (new 6/A), Dhanmondi.
Of the flats, 60 per cent (12 flats) were reserved under the government quota and 40 per cent (six flats) under the private quota.
The sizes of the apartments are between 2,049.13 square feet and 4,308.68 square feet.
Taking into account the recommendations of a National Housing Authority probe committee, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works on July 8 cancelled the allotment of the 12 residential apartments.
These apartments are being constructed as a part of the ongoing first-phase development under the project titled 鈥楥onstruction of Residential Flats on Abandoned Houses in Dhanmondi and Mohammadpur Areas (Dhanmondi Housing Project)鈥�, implemented by the National Housing Authority with its own funding.
Following the overthrow of the AL regime on August 5, 2024 amid a mass uprising, allegations of irregularities in the allotment of apartments to senior government officials were submitted to the ACC.
