Dinajpur representative: He was supposed to retire from government service after two months. But before retiring, Anwara Begum, Dugdugi Food Warehouse Officer (OC LSD) of Ghoraghat Upazila of Dinajpur, embezzled about Tk 2 crore worth of rice. In this incident, Ghoraghat Upazila Food Controller Yunus Ali Mondal has filed a case with the Ghoraghat Police Station under the Anti-Corruption Act.
After counting at 7 p.m. on Monday (May 6), a total deficit of 1 crore, 71 lakh, 31 thousand, 279 taka, and 52 paise was found, including the price of rice and empty sacks. The investigation officer and district assistant food controller, Mohan Ahmed, confirmed the matter.
In this regard, an investigation committee of five members has been formed for this incident. After the incident, District Food Controller Food Warehouse Officer Anwara Begum has been temporarily suspended. Anwara Begum is the wife of Abdul Matin Mandal of Nuniagari village in Palashbari upazila of Gaibandhar.
District Food Department sources said Anwara Begum has been serving as the officer in charge of the Dugdugi LSD warehouse for 5 years. He was due to retire in two months. On April 15, Ghoraghat Upazila Food Controller Yunus Ali Mondal visited the Dugdugi LSD warehouse and found less rice and sacks. The matter was reported to the District Food Controller. In between, Anwara Begum was asked several times to account for the food warehouse, but she did not give it and left with the key to the warehouse.
On April 25, without telling anyone, Anwara Begum covered herself with a lock and key in the warehouse. In this incident, a general diary was kept at the police station on the suspicion that there was a shortage of rice in the warehouse. Earlier, the executive magistrate and the inquiry committee counted the khamals (stacks of rice sacks) of two food warehouses in Dugdugi. 1 crore, 67 lakh, 46 thousand, 259 taka, and 4 thousand, 278 empty sacks after counting at 7 p.m. on Monday, the value of which is found to be 3 lakh, 85 thousand, 20 rupees shortfall. Locals have demanded maximum punishment for those involved.
According to the complaint, on April 25, Anwara Begum, OC LSD of Dugdugi in Ghoraghat, sealed the food warehouse and disappeared without taking any leave. Upazila Food Controller Yunus Ali filed a General Diary (GD) at Ghoraghat police station on May 1. On the application of the District Food Controller, the Deputy Commissioner assigned Ghoraghat Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Mahmudul Hasan. Millers, who supply contracted paddy rice, said corruption has been going on here for a long time. An investigation will reveal more irregularities.
Mohan Ahmed, chief assistant food controller of the investigation committee, said that the complaint against the Dugdugi food warehouse officer has been proven in the investigation. Anwara Begum has been subjected to legal proceedings, including suspension, after her involvement in rice embezzlement. District Food Officer Subir Nath Chowdhury said that the report of the investigation committee will be sent to the ministry.
Meanwhile, Ghoraghat police station officer-in-charge Asaduzzaman said that a case has been registered at the police station. Since the matter is embezzlement of government goods, the case has been sent to the Dinajpur District Anti-Corruption Commission. In connection with the disappearance of 319 metric tons of government rice and 4 thousand 278 empty sacks from the Dugdugi food warehouse in Ghoraghat upazila of Dinajpur, food warehouse officer Anwara Begum, a security guard, has been temporarily suspended. Meanwhile, the Dinajpur District Anti-Corruption Commission is preparing the case.
