A Dhaka court on Thursday sent former vice chancellor of Begum Rokeya University, Professor Dr Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, to jail in connection with a corruption case involving the embezzlement of Tk4 crore from a major development project.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib issued the order after Kalimullah was produced before the court following his arrest earlier in the day by the Detective Branch (DB) of police from his residence in the capital’s Mohammadpur area.
The investigating officer sought his remand until the probe is complete, citing the gravity of the charges.
On July 18, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against five individuals, including two former vice chancellors, Dr Kalimullah and Dr AKM Nur-un-Nabi as well as former executive engineer Md Jahangir Alam, and contractors Md A Salam Bacchu and M M Habibur Rahman.
According to the case statement, the accused allegedly manipulated the design and implementation process of a university development project worth over Tk30 crore. The project contract was reportedly signed without prior approval from the concerned ministry or division, in violation of government protocol.
The ACC further alleged that the accused facilitated the misappropriation of Tk4 crore collected as security deposit from the contractor. Additionally, despite a lack of legal provision, an advance bill was paid to the contractor and the bank guarantees were released before reconciling the payment.
In another violation, a second consulting firm was appointed, bypassing standard government procurement procedures and disregarding the original firm’s designs and specifications.
Earlier in the day, the same court imposed a travel ban on all five accused, granting a plea filed by the ACC to prevent them from leaving the country during the ongoing investigation.