DSCC official fired over graft charges

An engineer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has been fired from his job on allegation of corruption and financial irregularities.

The official losing the job is AHM Abdullah Harun, an assistant engineer of the DSCC’s waste management department. An official order signed by DSCC mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh was issued on Monday.

Sources at the DSCC secretariat office said Abdullah Harun paid the contractor additional bill without completing the work as per the approved design while carrying out the duty as assistant engineer and executive engineer at the waste management department. And, that caused a financial loss to the city corporation.

Besides, a tender of Tk 280 million (28 crore) was floated to remove and dumping waste and soil gathered on either side of a six-kilometre rail track from Kamalapur Titipara and Kadamtali under the deposit work of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project (PBRLP). Abdulla Harun also indulged in irregularities in this project.

The tender estimated the amount of garbage, soil and rubbish at 120,000 tonnes. Garbage is 5,000 tonnes. The remaining 115,000 tonnes are soil and rubbish and that is sellable.

Yet, an estimated of Tk 118.8 million (11.88 crore) was offered in the tender to remove soil and rubbish. Since soil and rubbish is sellable, the government should have no expenditure on it.

The office order said it is apparent by many activities of this official that he was involved in various irregularities, corruption and activities against city corporation and public interest. This caused financial loss to DSCC and tarnished its image.

As a result, he was dismissed from his job under the section 64(2) of the Dhaka City Corporation Employee Service Rules 2019 in order to protect the interest of the public and the corporation. He would receive 90 days' salary only as the rules, the order read.