The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has summoned 12 officials of secretary rank, for questioning over allegations that they were allotted luxury flats in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi, in violation of policy during the Awami League regime.
ACC Director General Akhtar Hossain confirmed the matter at a briefing on Thursday.
Those summoned include former ACC commissioners Mozammel Haque Khan and Zohurul Haque while the other secretaries are former secretaries Yunusur Rahman, Kader Sarkar, M Aslam Alam, Akhtari Momtaz, Sirajul Haque Khan, Manzurul Bashir, Syed Aminul Islam, Mohammad Salahuddin, M Golam Faruq and Anisur Rahman.
ACC officials said the 12 have been asked to appear for questioning on September 17, 18, and 21.
They will be interrogated as part of an inquiry into allegations of irregular, high-priced flat allocations under the “Grihayan Dhanmondi (Phase 1)” project of the National Housing Authority.
Under the project, 60 percent (12) of the 18 flats in House 711 (new no. 63), Road 13 (new 6/A), Dhanmondi Residential Area, were meant for government quota and 40 percent (6 flats) for private quota.
According to complaints filed with the ACC, the 12 secretary-level officials—allegedly involved in the controversial “night-time voting during the 2018 national election”—were “rewarded” with flats during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure.
On May 5, a private television channel aired a report on the matter. Acting on the report, the ACC launched an investigation, and on May 12 it was announced that the allegations were found to be credible.
The TV channel’s report said that Plot No. 63 in Dhanmondi-6 was originally government khas land, with extremely high market value.
It was alleged that Sheikh Hasina directly ordered the land to be transferred to the National Housing Authority, with instructions to construct a 14-story building there.
The building includes two duplex flats and a two-story parking facility on the ground floors. The two duplex flats were allotted to former ACC commissioners Mozammel Haque Khan and Zohurul Haque.
The other 10 flats were allotted to former secretaries Yunusur Rahman, Kader Sarkar, M. Aslam Alam, Akhtari Momtaz, Sirajul Haque Khan, Md Manzurul Bashir, Syed Aminul Islam, Mohammad Salahuddin, M Golam Faruq, and Anisur Rahman.
