MD, GM among 19 sued for Barapukuria coal debacle

A case was filed against 19 officials of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited (BCMCL), including its recently suspended managing director Habib Uddin Ahmed, in connection with the ‘disappearance of coal’ from the mine yard.

Barapukuria coal mine’s manager (administration) Mohammad Anisur Rahman filed the case with Parbatipur model police station on Tuesday night, said Habibul Haq, officer-in-charge of the police station.

Managing director Habib Uddin Ahmed, general manager Abul Quasem Prothania, ATM Nuruzzaman Chowdhury and deputy general manager (store) Khaledul Islam, who were suspended earlier, were among the accused, reports UNB.

On 23 July, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) formed a three-member probe committee to look into the incident of “disappearance of coal” from the mine yard.

According to an ACC unofficial note, BCMCL managing director Habib Uddin Ahmed and others allegedly sold 116,000 tonnes of coal and embezzled Tk 2 billion.

Officials said the shortage of coal came to their notice a few days back when a team from Power Development Board visited the coal mine and found that there was no adequate reserve of coal in the yard of the mine.

Petrobangla top officials identified inconsistency in the coal reserve at the coal mine yard.

An official investigation found that the stock had a shortage of 148,000 tonnes of coal.

Later, Petrobangla formed a three-member inquiry committee, headed by its director (mining), Quamruzzaman, to investigate into the issue of the coal shortage and suspended a number of BCMCL officials.