ACC forms probe body over Barapukuria ‘coal disappearance’

Staff Correspondent: The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday formed a three-member probe committee to look into the disappearance of coal worth Tk 200 crore from Barapukuria coal mine in Dinajpur.

The investigation committee has been formed with ACC Deputy Director Shamsul Alam as its head.

The other members of the panel are ACC Assistant Director ASM Sajjad Hossain and Deputy Assistant Director ASM Tajul Islam.

The committee has been asked to submit its report within 15 working days.

ACC’s Public Relations Officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya told this to risingbd.com.

According to an ACC unofficial note, Managing Director of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Habib Uddin Ahmed and others allegedly sold 1.16 lakh tonnes of coal and embezzled Tk 200 crore.

Officials said the shortage of coal came to their notice a few days back when a team from Power Development Board visited the coal mine and found that there was no adequate reserve of coal in the yard of the mine.

Petrobangla top officials identified inconsistency in the coal reserve at the coal mine yard.

As per the official investigation, the stock was found to have a shortage of 148,000 tonnes of coal and finally Petrobangla has formed a three-member inquiry committee, headed by its director (mining) Quamruzzaman, to investigate the issue of the coal shortage and suspended a number of BCMCL officials.

The officials who were suspended or removed include managing director of the company Habib Uddin Ahmed, secretary-cum-general manager Abul Quasem Prothania, general manager ATM Nuruzzaman Chowdhury and deputy general manager (store) Khaledul Islam.


risingbd/Dhaka/July 23, 2018/MA Rahman/AI