Economic Reporte :
Shah Md Aminul Haq finally joined as the chairman of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) on Monday after a tussle over the helm of the state agency with his immediate predecessor.
Prior, he was additional secretary of ERD.
The BCIC has been having two chairmen since March 28 as former chairman Mohammad Iqbal was reluctant to hand over the charge to the new chairman.
After taking charge on July 3, Aminul Haq told daily New Nation that improving fertiliser management system and ensuring smooth supply of fertiliser will be his priority as the new chief of the state-owned agency.
“I will give Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation a shape of a corruption-free organisation. As BCIC is a state-run organisation, I will ensure partnership of all at my organisation,” he added.
The new chairman also sought cooperation from the media in discharging his duties.
It can be mentioned that Iqbal, the former chairman of BCIC, was in the center of controversy during his regime due to allegations of various irregularities and bad decisions.
In response to court directive, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has already started an investigation into the allegations of corruption against Mohammad Iqbal.
The anti-graft agency has already appointed its deputy director SMM Akhter Hamid Bhiyan as an investigation officer to probe the allegations of embezzling crores of taka and abuse of power against Iqbal.
Akhter Hamid in a letter on June 14 asked the BCIC chief to send necessary documents to the ACC head office on urgent basis as part of the investigation process.
The records and information sought by the ACC includes the report of the Commercial Audit Directorate on irregularities in maintaining accounts of the fertiliser stock at BCIC marketing department, the report submitted by BCIC’s internal audit officer ASM Anwar Al Sadat on February 17 last year on irregularities in maintaining accounts of fertiliser-in-transit and the report submitted on June 4 in 2013 by BCIC director (finance) Lutfar Rahman-led team on irregularities in maintaining the accounts of 80,250 tonnes of fertiliser imported in 2012.
It also sought records of BCIC on fertiliser stock in July last year which was later sent to the industries ministry, trafficking of 6,808 tonnes of fertiliser from Mongla Port by contractor firm Nobab and Company without approval of BCIC and documents on the amount of money withdrawn by contractor firm Bulk Trade International through submitting fake transport bill.
The ACC will also conduct an investigation into the contact of BCIC with China Company WASTCL for restarting Chittagong Chemical Complex as there are allegations of irregularities in it.
It also asked for the records of the contract and money payment documents, and the record of profit and loss of the Chittagong Chemical Complex.
The ACC has also sought all the files on publishing a recruitment circular and final appointment of 74 employees at BCIC in the posts under six categories in 2014.
