Mymensingh’s Phulpur: Govt funds used to develop secretary’s family graveyard

Nij Ashabot is a remote village in Phulpur upazila of Mymensingh. In this village, the district council has taken eight small projects, one after another, ostensibly to build a boundary wall, upgrade facilities and ensure access to drinking water at a graveyard. A total of Tk 2.4 million (Tk 24 lakhs) has been allocated.

On paper, the graveyard has been labelled a “social graveyard”. However, inquiries reveal that it is actually the family graveyard of Md Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, secretary of the local government division.

Allegations have it that these projects were undertaken at the discretion of Md Kabir Hossain Sardar, acting chief executive officer of Mymensingh Zilla Parishad (District council). Sources from the district council say that Kabir Hossain did this to keep the local government secretary satisfied.

A group of district council officers and employees have brought a series of allegations against Kabir Hossain, including taking eight projects for a single graveyard, irregularities in blanket distribution and forging the district council administrator’s signature.

On 26 October, a written complaint was submitted to the local government division seeking action against him. The following day, 27 October, the local government division transferred Kabir Hossain from Mymensingh to Patuakhali district council as its executive officer. However, on 2 November, a fresh order transferred him to Netrokona district council.

Speaking to Prothom Alo over the phone, local government secretary Rezaul Maksud Jahedi said, “I never asked for any project at the graveyard. I only asked for arrangements for drinking water and a small panjegana mosque (where prayers other than the Juma are held).”

He further said, “I requested for minor work, but the district council has made a mess of it. I’ve now told them to cancel it.”

The secretary added that as soon as he learnt of the matter, Kabir Hossain was transferred. Although he was first sent to Patuakhali, he was later posted to Netrokona. “Journalists there are objecting as well. He will be transferred again,” he said.

A review of official records shows that in 2013, Kabir Hossain Sardar served as Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) in Savar. At the time, allegations were raised that he had purchased shares of a garment factory in the names of his two brothers and taken control of it at Chandana Chowrasta in Gazipur. He was also accused of living in a Uttara flat for 11 months without paying rent. Following confirmation of both allegations, he was subjected to departmental punishment in 2015, his salary was downgraded by two increments.

The district council is a statutory local government body, run under circulars issued by the local government division. It has its own revenue budget and undertakes small development and grant-based activities. Allegations of nepotism, favouritism toward influential individuals and corruption are widespread in relation to such works.

Documents of Mymensingh district council show that on 18 May, a meeting was held, chaired by then-administrator and additional divisional commissioner Zia Ahmed Summon. The meeting approved 37 projects against an allocation of Tk 9 million (90 lakhs) received from the local government division. Of these, 10 projects were taken for Phulpur upazila, and nine of those were concentrated in Nij Ashabot village of Rambhadrapur Union.

Each project received an allocation of Tk 300,000.

According to the list, the first project involved development of the graveyard of Haji Shamsher Ali in Nij Ashabot. Shamsher Ali was the grandfather of local government secretary Rezaul Maksud Jahedi. The 4th project was about tiling of the boundary wall of the “social graveyard” in Nij Ashabot.

Projects numbered 8, 21, 24, 25, 27 and 32 also relate to the same graveyard. Those include installing and improving clean water facilities, sanitation systems, boundary walls and drainage channels.

On 26 October, during a visit to the locality, construction work was found underway at the family graveyard in front of the secretary’s ancestral home. By then, the boundary wall, motor installation, water tank and sanitation facilities were already progressing. A faded signboard reading “family graveyard” was also visible.

Locals state that although the district council categorised it as a “social graveyard”, it is not open to the general public.

Uzzal Hossain, the son of the secretary’s cousin, told Prothom Alo, “This is a family graveyard. Recently, demarcation work was done and construction underway. It is being done with government funds.”

Allegations of irregularities have also been raised against acting chief executive officer Kabir Hossain over blanket procurement during the 2024–25 fiscal year.

District council records show that on 28 January, Kabir Hossain issued a work order for the purchase of blankets. A contract worth nearly Tk 5 million (49.98 lakhs) was awarded to M/S Hawlader Enterprise of Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, to supply 12,000 blankets for poor and vulnerable people in 13 upazilas. As per the order, the blankets were supposed to be delivered to the assistant sub-engineer within seven days.

But assistant sub-engineer and member of the blanket purchase committee, Abdur Rauf, told Prothom Alo, “I did not receive any blankets.”

Asked how the payment went through, he replied, “I do not know.”

Chief assistant of the district council, Md Saiful Islam, said, “We have no documents showing that blankets were received. However, the acting chief executive has given us some papers claiming distribution.”

The current district council administrator, additional divisional commissioner Tahmina Akter, has alleged that Kabir Hossain forged her signature to prepare the decision sheets for projects amounting to approximately Tk 11.3 million (1.13 crore). She confirmed that a show-cause notice has been issued to him.

Kabir Hossain claims he has provided a proper response.

Commenting on the allegations regarding multiple projects at the local government secretary’s family graveyard and irregularities in blanket procurement, he said, “I do not make decisions alone; projects are approved in monthly meetings and sent through the ministry. If any issues arise, we often change a project.”

Meanwhile, the written complaint submitted to the local government secretary states that Kabir Hossain routinely pressured assistant engineers and other employees to carry out illegal instructions. It urges immediate measures to protect district council resources and staff from his “abuse”.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has already begun investigating alleged misappropriation in the 2024–25 revenue budget, where allocations were shown against non-existent organisations under optional activities.

The divisional administration has also formed a three-member probe committee, administrator Tahmina Akter confirmed.