Dinajpur Correspondent :
A court here on Wednesday sent six former managing directors and 16 officials of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited sent to jail in a case filed by Anti-Corruption Commission over stealing 1,43,728 tonnes of coal worth Tk 243.29 crore from the colliery in Dinajpur.
Mahmudul Karim, Judge of Dinajpur Special Judge Court, passed the order rejecting their bail prayers after the accused appeared before the court, ACC Dinajpur Integrated Office deputy director Abu Hena Ashiqur Rahman told media.
The officials, who were sent to jail, are the company’s former managing directors Habib Uddin Ahmed, M Abdul Aziz Khan, Khurshid Alam, Kamaruzzaman, M Aminuzzamn and SM Nurul Awrangjeb, suspended general manager (administration) Abul Quasem Prothania, suspended general manager (mine operation) ATM Nuruzzaman Chowdhury, suspended deputy general manager (store) Khademul Islam, former general manager M Shariful Islam, manager M Shoibur Rahman, deputy managing directors (mine planning and development) Zobayer Ali, Masudur Rahman Hawlader (general services), Ashok Kumar Haldar (production management), Arifur Rahman (maintenance and operation) and Syed Imam Hasan (security), deputy managers Muhammad Khalilur Rahman (coal handling), Morsheduzzaman (maintenance and operation), Habibur Rahman (production management), Jahedur Rahman (mine development) and assistant managers Satyendranat Barman and M Moniruzzaman, he said.
Dinajpur court inspector Israil Hossain said that the accused were on bail and Wednesday was set for hearing on charges in the case.
He said that the accused persons appeared before the court and sought bail in the case but the court rejected their prayers and sent them to jail.
On July 24, 2018, Barapukuria coal mine manager (administration) Mohammad Anisur Rahman filed the case with Parbatipur model police station accusing 19 officials of the company, including former managing director Habib Uddin Ahmed for the theft and the case was sent to ACC for investigation.
ACC investigator M Samsul Alam, also deputy director of the commission, investigated the case and the Commission approved charges against 23 people, including seven former MDs and 16 officials, in July 2019.
ACC officials said former managing director Md Mahbubur Rahman died after the submission of charge-sheet.
According to the commission findings, the coal stocks disappeared between 2006 and 2018 from the Barapukuria coal mine.
The theft of the massive coal stocks from the Barapukuria Coal Mine was exposed in July 2018 and the ACC formed a committee to investigate into the theft on July 23, 2018.
