The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) carried out a raid at the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) on Wednesday following allegations of bribery worth nearly Tk50 lakh in connection with building plan approvals and clearance certificates.
The operation targeted officials accused of delaying the release of approved documents and harassing applicants for bribes.
The complaint came from Hasan Murad, who applied to the CDA in 2023 for land clearance and building plan approval. While he received land clearance in May 2023 and final plan approval in May 2024, CDA officials allegedly delayed issuing the documents, citing various excuses.
Among those implicated are Dealing Assistant Alamgir Talukdar, Section Officers, Authorised Officer Mohammad Hasan, and Assistant Authorised Officer Mohammad Ilias Akter.
According to the complainant, approximately Tk50 lakh was exchanged in bribes during the approval process.
ACC Assistant Director Syed Alam confirmed that preliminary investigations show evidence of negligence and harassment. “We will investigate the bribery allegations thoroughly and take further action as per commission directives,” he said.
CDA Chairman Engineer Md Nurul Karim described the ACC operation as routine and stressed full cooperation. He explained that the applicant had begun construction before receiving plan approval, which caused the building committee to withhold the documents. “The ACC will determine whether the delays involved financial irregularities,” he added.
The chairman also emphasized CDA’s commitment to transparency and accountability, stating, “If any officer is found guilty of corruption, strict action will be taken. Our goal is to make CDA a corruption-free institution.”
