WASA MD, 8 others accused

A leader of a cooperative of Dhaka WASA employees on Thursday accused the managing director of the utility agency Taksim A Khan and eight others of embezzling Tk 132 crore of the cooperative.

The general secretary of Dhaka WASA Employees Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited, Shahab Uddin Sarkar, filed an application with Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.

The others accused are – Dhaka WASA engineer Sharmin Haque Amir, former revenue inspector Mia Md Mizanur Rahman, engineer Md Aktaruzzaman, revenue inspector Zakir Hossain, engineer Badrul Alam, former deputy general manager of Janata Bank Shyamal Biswas, Deputy Secretary Sheikh Enayet Ullah and deputy chief accounting officer Salekur Rahman.

After hearing the statement of Shahab Uddin, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ashek Imam suggested him file a case with a court concerned as the offence mentioned in his application is under the jurisdiction of the Anti-Corruption Commission, said the plaintiff’s lawyer Munzur Alam.

“The court asked my client to file the case with the court concerned as the accused are public servants and their offence is under the jurisdiction of the ACC,” said Munzur.

The court also returned back the documents of the case, said Manzur Alam.

According to the allegation, the Dhaka WASA Employees Multipurpose Cooperative Society received Tk 99.65 crore between July 16, 2017, and June 30, 2018, from the Dhaka WASA as commission against revenue collection.

Apart from this, the society also received Tk 34.18 crore for the same job in 2018 and 2019, said the plaintiff.

Of the amount, Tk 1.79 crore was deposited into the association’s account from 2017 to 2018 but the rest of Tk 132.4 crore from six banks was embezzled by the accused through different cheques.

The plaintiff also alleged it was also proved in the audit report of the Department of Cooperatives.

He also alleges that the accused ‘stole’ assets worth around Tk 200 crore of society by keeping the association’s car and moveable and immoveable assets in their custody.

Taksim A Khan is serving as managing director of Dhaka WASA since 2009. His term has been extended six times since his first appointment.