Hasina Medical College: ACC sues principal, suppliers for graft

There is a common public perception that processes for government works are slow but they speed up when vested interests are involved.

A recent enquiry by the Anti-Corruption Commission shows why it is so.

It took only six days from awarding a contract to disbursing nearly Tk 4.5 crore by the authorities of Sheikh Hasina Medical College in Habiganj.

By inflating prices of items several times higher, principal of the college Dr Md Abu Sufian and two suppliers pocketed nearly Tk 3.43 crore back in 2018.

Yesterday, the ACC filed two separate cases against Sufian, Afsana Islam Kakoli, proprietor of Nirjhara Enterprise, and SM Nazrul Islam Natun, proprietor of Punam Trade International, for the misappropriation, confirmed Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, ACC's Public Relations Officer.

ACC's Deputy Assistant Directors Sahidur Rahman and Ferdous Rahman filed the cases.

According to the case statement, Sufian, without following an annual procurement plan, floated tenders in two packages for medical and sports equipment, chemical reagents, furniture, computers and books on May 15, 2018.

Later, he awarded one tender to Punam Trade International on June 18 for supplying 10 Head Microscopes, 81 Binocular LED Microscopes, 5 Trinocular LED Microscopes, one Fluorescence LED Microscope (Fluorescence Attachment), one Digital Weighing Machine (for Laboratory use), one Digital Noise Meter, 31 Split Type 2 Ton Air Conditioners, 5 LED Televisions and 6 refrigerators.

In less than six days, Punam Trade International supplied all the products.

Supplier Nazrul then sent a bill of Tk 4,99,93,000 to the Medical College.

On the same day, the principal approved the bill and asked district account office to pay Punam Trade International Tk 4,49,93,700 after deduction of vat and income tax.

The actual price of these items, however, was Tk 2,35,46,000. The remaining Tk 2.14 crores was misappropriated by the accused.

Sahidur told this correspondent that the one piece binocular microscope's market price was Tk 1.85 lakh whereas it was shown to be Tk 3.25 lakh. Similarly, the prices of LED TV and A/C were shown Tk 1.65 and Tk 1.98 lakh but their actual prices were Tk 56,000 and Tk 86,000.

The actual price of a digital weighing machine is Tk 1.45 lakh but they showed it to be Tk 6.4 lakh in the document.

The price of ten head microscopes was shown Tk 1.05 crore, whereas the actual price of the medical equipment was only Tk 21.5 lakh.

"They inflated the price to misappropriate money," he said.

At the same time, Sufian gave the tender for supplying books and journals to Nirjhara Enterprise.

"The price of books was also inflated. And they misappropriated Tk 1.29 crore," said ACC Deputy Assistant Director Ferdous.

The correspondent tried to reach Sufian for his comment over phone but failed.

Meanwhile, the ACC yesterday filed two separate cases against Project Director of Bangladesh Railway Ramzan Ali and his wife Dilruba Parvin Elora for amassing about Tk 4.28 crore beyond the known source of income.

ACC's Deputy Director Abu Bakar Siddiqui filed the cases against them.

In the enquiry, it was found that Ramzan amassed around Tk 2.70 crore legally.

"Meanwhile, he amassed Tk 2.43 crore through bribes and corrupt practices," reads the FIR.

On the other hand, his wife has amassed Tk 2.48 crore from September 24, 2007 to June 30, 2019.

Of these, about Tk 1.85 crore was amassed beyond the known source of income, said the first information report.