The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Wednesday grilled former Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakha (Rajuk) Mohammad Azizul Haque and BNP leader Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Anny on separate graft complaints.
ACC Deputy Director Jaton Kumar interrogated Azizul Haque as a witness against former Housing and Public Works’ Secretary Dr Khandakar Shawkat Hossain who managed several plots and then expanded the size of the land misusing his power. Earlier, the anti-graft watchdog quizzed Rajuk’s incumbent Chairman Engineer Nurul Huda and some other officers of the organisation on the same graft matter.
Sources said, Dr Shawkat Hossain obtained a plot of three kathas of land at Uttara Project in 2001 and later expanded its size to five kathas illegally. Though he sold two kathas from them, he signed a contract with a Developer Company for building an apartment house on five kathas.
In 2004, he managed allotment of another plot measuring seven kathas in his wife’s name at Pourbachal Project and expanded its size first to 10 kathas and then to 12 kathas.
Not only that, he obtained a three-katha plot in his mother’s name at Rajuk Uttara Residential Project that was also expanded to five kathas.
In the same way, Shawkat managed another plot with the help of the Rajuk authorities.
The expansion of the plot size from three to five kathas was approved in a meeting of Rajuk.
Rajuk Chairman Engineer Nurul Huda, Anowarul Islam, Akhter Hossain, M Mahabubul Alam, Nazmul Hai and Abdul Mannan of the organisation approved it. Shawkat was present at the meeting as the Secretary of Housing and Public Works.
Sources said, ACC discovered irregularity and found the evidence finally.
On the other hand, ACC Deputy Director Manjur Marshed questioned Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Anny between 10:00am and 11:00am on charge of amassing huge wealth in a dishonest way.
Anny, who was a former Member of Parliament from the Laxmipur Constituency and Student Affairs Secretary of BNP, appeared in the commission office a day before his scheduled date though he was asked to appear today (Thursday).
