The Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday filed a case against seven people, including Sadeeq Agro owner Imran Hossain and officials of the Department of Livestock Services, on charges of irregularities and corruption.
Commission鈥檚 assistant director Abul Kalam Azad filed the case with the commission鈥檚 Dhaka-1 integrated office, said the commission鈥檚 public relations officer Akhtarul Islam on Tuesday.
The six other accused are鈥攇overnment鈥檚 Central Cattle Breeding and Dairy Farm director Md Monirul Islam, its director (production) ABM Khaleduzzaman, buyer officer Saiful Islam, upazila livestock officer (leave reserve) Firoz Ahmed Khan, deputy director ABM Salah Uddin and Sadeeq Agro鈥檚 Touhidul Alam Zenith.
Sadeeq Agro Limited came under scrutiny recently for selling a goat for Tk 12 lakh to the young son of National Board of Revenue official Matiur Rahman who is now facing a barrage of graft charges.
According to anti-corruption commission鈥檚 probe findings, the ministry of fisheries and livestock sent a letter to its Department of Livestock Services on March 3, 2024, giving approval to sell the meat of 448 cows, including 15 Brahman cows, at a fair price through mobile sales centres.
Of them, 168 cows, including 15 of Brahman breed, were from the Central Cattle Breeding and Dairy Farm in Savar, 42 were from Rajshahi Dairy and Cattle Development Farm, 20 were from District Dairy Farm in Sylhet, 81 from Dairy and Cattle Development Farm in Bogura, 20 from Dairy and Cattle Development Farm in Faridpur, 47 from Dairy and Cattle Development Farm at Kashipur of Barishal, and 70 cows were from Dairy and Cattle Improvement Farm at Hathazari in Chittagong.
Later on, Sadeeq Agro owner Imran Hossain, also president of the Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association, in collusion with some officials of the livestock department, took the 15 Brahman cows along with the other cows from the Savar鈥檚 central cattle breeding farm in April, without maintaining the proper process.
Neither did they maintain the mandatory condition spelt out by the ministry that the cows must be slaughtered and their meat must be sold at a fair price from mobile centres during the month of Ramadan, said anti-corruption officials involved in the probe.
Later on, during Eid-ul-Azha observed in June, Sadeeq Agro was allegedly found selling some Brahman cows at high prices.
In 2021, Imran imported 18 Brahman cows, a breed whose import is restricted in Bangladesh, from the United States with fake identification documents, claiming them to be Shahiwal breed. The customs department seized these cows at the airport.
The customs authorities then handed over the cows to the Central Cattle Breeding and Dairy Farm in Savar under the Department of Livestock. Officials at the Savar farm said that three of the 18 Brahman cows died, while the rest of the 15 were in their custody.