Former social welfare minister occupies two govt houses

After becoming the Minister of Social Welfare, Nuruzzaman Ahmed got a 5000-square-feet flat at the minister's apartment on Bailey Road in the capital.

Additionally, he occupies another government house of a similar size. Over the past five years, he resided in one of these houses, while his relatives live in the other.

According to the Ministers, State Ministers, and Deputy Ministers Act, a minister is entitled to a furnished residence free of charge at public expense.

However, Nuruzzaman Ahmed allegedly violated this rule by occupying two houses, according to sources at the Directorate of Government Accommodation.

Despite this violation, officials at the accommodation directorate could not take any action or raise concerns over the past five years.

The new cabinet was formed on 11 January after the 12th National Parliament elections, and the Ministry of Public Works updated the list of houses allocated to ministers.

During this process, it was revealed that the outgoing Social Welfare Minister, Nuruzzaman Ahmed, had control over two government houses.

This reporter visited the minister's apartment on Bailey Road, which consists of three buildings with six floors each. Nuruzzaman Ahmed resides in the house on the west side of the sixth floor in the building number 1. He moved to this residence after becoming the Social Welfare Minister in 2019 and is still living there. Even though he is no longer a minister, he can stay for one month according to the rules.

Upon visiting building number 3, it was discovered that the 5,000-square-feet house on the east side of the fifth floor in that building is also registered in Nuruzzaman's name.

However, he did not live there, and it was revealed through discussions with security personnel that his relatives lived in that residence.

When questioned, another minister residing near the minister's apartment informed Prothom Alo that other residents are aware of Nuruzzaman Ahmed's use of two houses.

Despite repeated attempts to contact Nuruzzaman Ahmed for his comment, including sending SMS messages to his mobile phone, he did not respond.

Kazi Washi Uddin, the secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, acknowledged the situation, stating, "He (Nuruzzaman Ahmed) has taken two houses in the Ministers Apartment. In one, he lived, and in the other, someone else lived. I came to know about this last week."

The secretary mentioned that after learning about the situation, the key to the other house was retrieved from the former minister, and the house is now vacant. However, Nuruzzaman Ahmed is still residing in the house where he lived.

Former Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumdar commented that if a minister misuses his power and retains a house unlawfully, it constitutes corruption. He suggested that as long as the house was occupied, the minister should be billed for utilities such as electricity, gas, and water during that period. Additionally, those responsible for overseeing these government houses should be held accountable.

Nuruzzaman Ahmed became the State Minister of the Ministry of Social Welfare on 19 June 2016. In 2019, he was elevated to full minister in the same ministry. During his tenure as Social Welfare Minister, there were discussions and criticisms about his actions. He faced accusations of misusing his power by using public funds to establish a hospital in his mother's name.

Additionally, he had an outstanding electricity bill of Tk 900,000 for his village house, which he settled after media reports highlighted the issue. Criticisms were also directed at him for alleged favoritism in the distribution of various allowances and grants under his ministry.

In the 12th national parliament election, Nuruzzaman Ahmed was elected as a Member of Parliament from Lalmonirhat-2 (Aditmari-Kaliganj) constituency as an Awami League candidate. However, he was not appointed as a minister in the new government.