National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasanat Abdullah has responded to the remarks made by the administrator of the Comilla Zila Parishad (District Council). The Member of Parliament for Cumilla-4 constituency (Debidwar) said the money referred to by the zila parishad administrator was budget allocation for the upazila, and that money was not given to him.
Comilla zila parishad administrator Md Mostak Mia alleged at an event held at Comilla Shilpakala Academy on Saturday afternoon that NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan took Tk 150 million from the zila parishad while serving as an adviser in the interim government. He also alleged that NCP southern chief organiser Hasanat Abdullah took Tk 100 million. The discussion and doa mahfil were organised to mark the 45th martyrdom anniversary of BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman. Mostak Mia also is the BNP’s Cumilla divisional assistant organising secretary.
Asked about the district council administrator’s remarks, Hasanat Abdullah told Prothom Alo, “What the district council administrator said refers to taking budget allocations for the upazila. But the upazila budget money was not given to me. This budget is not given to any individual. It was given to the upazila.”
Stating that the district administration has records of which sectors and projects received funding for Debidwar upazila, Hasanat Abdullah said, “The upazila also has accounts of how much money was spent in which sectors and where. They should publish those.”
Expressing willingness to do everything for the development of the upazila, MP Hasanat Abdullah said, “If I have to beg anywhere for anything for the people of my upazila, I have no objection to that. Because I am not asking for myself, I am asking for the people.”
Hasanat Abdullah said the allocation was a special allocation from the Local Government Division, which was spent through the zila prishad. Debidwar upazila received Tk 500 million. The money was allocated through an ADP project. It has no connection with the zila prishad’s revenue fund.
Criticising the district council administrator’s remarks, Hasanat Abdullah said, “He spoke in a way that makes it seem as if we put the money in our own pockets. But allocations were made for different works in Debidwar. He said it was taken from the revenue sector. But this was not a revenue-sector allocation; it was an ADP project allocation.”