Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Tuesday directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to probe into the allegation of corruption in printing the textbooks for pre-primary, primary, secondary, vocational and madrasa level by sub-standard papers.
The court asked the ACC to submit a report in the HC within one month.
The HC Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB).
The court also issued a rule upon the government to explain in four weeks as to why the inaction of the respondents in not ensuring the standard of quality of papers used for printing the textbooks for pre-primary, primary, secondary, vocational and madrasa level and thereby ignoring the statutory duty vested upon them should not be declared illegal.
It also wanted to know in the rule as to why the respondents should not be directed to take effective steps to prevent corrupt practices
in the procurement of textbooks in future. Education Secretary, Finance Secretary, Primary Education Secretary, Chairman of National Curricula and Textbook Board (NCTB) and Secretary of NCTB have to comply with the rule within four weeks.
Convener of Consumers Association of Bangladesh Mubasshar Hossain filed the petition with the High Court on October 28 on behalf of his organisation.
In the petition CAB said, “The petitioner on the basis of the information collected from the Printers and Publishers regarding the price and quantity of the paper used for printing the aforesaid textbooks by the NCTB found that the total quantity of paper was approximately 80000 metric tonnes and the lowest price per metric ton was Tk 96,000.00 for 80 GSM and Tk 93,000.00 for 60 GSM papers.”
“But the awarded printers and publishers used low quality papers worth Tk 75,000.00 per metric ton for 80 GSM and Tk 72,500.00 for 60 GSM papers. This way they have misappropriated Tk 1.6 billion in 2018 for printing textbooks for the academic year 2019,” also read the petition.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared in the court on behalf of the CAB while Deputy Attorney General Tusher Kanti Roy stood for the state.
The High Court on Tuesday directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to probe into the allegation of corruption in printing the textbooks for pre-primary, primary, secondary, vocational and madrasa level by sub-standard papers.
The court asked the ACC to submit a report in the HC within one month.
The HC Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB).
The court also issued a rule upon the government to explain in four weeks as to why the inaction of the respondents in not ensuring the standard of quality of papers used for printing the textbooks for pre-primary, primary, secondary, vocational and madrasa level and thereby ignoring the statutory duty vested upon them should not be declared illegal.
It also wanted to know in the rule as to why the respondents should not be directed to take effective steps to prevent corrupt practices
in the procurement of textbooks in future. Education Secretary, Finance Secretary, Primary Education Secretary, Chairman of National Curricula and Textbook Board (NCTB) and Secretary of NCTB have to comply with the rule within four weeks.
Convener of Consumers Association of Bangladesh Mubasshar Hossain filed the petition with the High Court on October 28 on behalf of his organisation.
In the petition CAB said, “The petitioner on the basis of the information collected from the Printers and Publishers regarding the price and quantity of the paper used for printing the aforesaid textbooks by the NCTB found that the total quantity of paper was approximately 80000 metric tonnes and the lowest price per metric ton was Tk 96,000.00 for 80 GSM and Tk 93,000.00 for 60 GSM papers.”
“But the awarded printers and publishers used low quality papers worth Tk 75,000.00 per metric ton for 80 GSM and Tk 72,500.00 for 60 GSM papers. This way they have misappropriated Tk 1.6 billion in 2018 for printing textbooks for the academic year 2019,” also read the petition.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared in the court on behalf of the CAB while Deputy Attorney General Tusher Kanti Roy stood for the state.
