The interim government has formed a one-member probe committee to investigate allegations of bribery after a Tk 3 crore cheque was recovered from the office of Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, allegedly for facilitating the posting of a deputy commissioner (DC).
The investigation committee, led by Md Rezaul Maksud Zahedi, additional secretary of the Public Administration Ministry, has been instructed to submit its report within three working days to the senior secretary of the ministry. The Public Administration Ministry issued a notification regarding the investigation on Tuesday.
The allegation came to light following a report published in the daily Kalbela, titled "DC Posting After Taking Tk 3 Crore Cash Cheque", on Tuesday. According to the report, the cheque was discovered in the office of Zia Uddin, a joint secretary at the Public Administration Ministry. A businessman named Mirza Sabed Ali from Kurigram district allegedly provided the cheque to the official. A script containing five names was also found with the cheque.
This development follows the recent political upheaval, with the Awami League government being overthrown on August 5, following a student-led uprising. After assuming power, the interim government initiated a reshuffle in key government positions, including those in the police and administration. On September 9 and 10, the government appointed 59 deputy commissioners but later revoked the appointments of eight. The process of appointing new DCs in various districts is currently ongoing.
The investigation aims to uncover any irregularities or corruption in the DC appointment process.
