The Crime Desk: An assistant engineer who has been working at Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) for about 13 years has been transferred to Hathazari Municipality. The engineer named Salma Khatun is working in the electricity department of CCC.
Generally, officers transferred on deputation are not kept in one place for more than three years. But Salma Khatun was an exception in this case. The Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) enforcement report on CCC’s purchases has accused him of ‘abuse of power’ and ‘causing financial loss to the government’.
It is known that last Thursday, the deputy secretary of the local government department. The transfer order for Salma Khatun was issued under the signature of Salma Siddiqa. It asked to join the transferred workplace by July 7. Otherwise, he will be considered for immediate release (stand release) on July 8.
CCC Chief Executive Officer Sheikh Muhammad Touhidul Islam confirmed the issue of the transfer order to the media. When asked how many years the officers can stay in the post, he said there is no specific rule. However, it is usually not kept for more than three years.
According to CCC sources, the then Deputy Assistant Engineer Salma Khatun was transferred to CCC on deputation from Patia Municipality in 2011. Later in 2021, he was promoted to the post of assistant engineer. However, there is no post of Assistant Engineer for officers on deputation in CCC’s organizational structure. However, he remained in CCCi. On the contrary, on April 24, 2023, he was given additional responsibility as an executive engineer.CCCs power department was angry about the matter. In this regard, a person named AKM Helal Chowdhury filed a written complaint with the local government department on April 29.
Meanwhile, an enforcement report from the ACC was given on the urgent purchase of machinery and equipment for the isolation center in CCC during the COVID period. In it, it is said about Salma Khatun: “She caused financial loss to the government by purchasing equipment at several times higher than the market price with the dishonest intention of gaining financial benefit by misusing her power.” The ACC is investigating the matter further. In view of ACC’s letter, on February 20, the local government director of the Chittagong divisional commissioner’s office was asked to give an opinion on the matter after an investigation.
