Embezzlement of millions in the name of multimedia project
The multimedia project undertaken by the education ministry to introduce technology-based education at secondary and higher secondary level yielded no results at all. Only a vast amount of money was wasted in the name of training, procurement of equipments and providing opportunities for irregularities to a number of officials. The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education was responsible for implementing the project. The duration of the project was four years which was later extended for another one year, six months of which has already passed.
According to Prothom Alo report on Sunday, the Directorate of Inspection and Audit (DIA) of the education ministry investigated the project’s corruption. The inquiry report shows, not a single classroom was set up after spending millions. But according to the persons involved with the project said, as many as 144,154 teachers were trained under the project so far.
Why on earth do these officials draw money in the name of training and speeches? They are paid for the job already
The inquiry report says, only 8 per cent of the works has completed in 2017-18 fiscal. In 2018-19, 144,154 teachers were trained while no training was conducted in the current fiscal. The report further revealed that the project director Abdus Sabur Khan drew 1.7 million taka for training 447 batches of teachers. He also gave shares to the headAs of the training centres. As the saying goes, birds of a feather, flock together. Also a big amount of money has been wasted in the name of renting places for training and procuring necessary equipment.
The project director made cash purchase of almost 4 million taka whereas the rules say, a project director can only spend up till Tk 3 million annually without tender. The training centres were provided with modems, but no laptops.
It was the second phase of multimedia project by the education ministry. A number of education experts objected that the second phase was started without evaluating the works of first phase. The inquiry committee recommended removing the project director from the position. Removal from the post cannot be the only due action against such embezzlement. All including the project director involved in the corruption must be brought under law. Everyone related to the project should be held responsible as the students could not benefit from the project despite so much money being spent.
Most of the government projects are designed in a way that it benefits the persons involved with the tasks. Why on earth do these officials draw money in the name of training and speeches? They are paid for the job already. Tech expert Mohammad Kaikobad put it right, it is not necessary to train so many people in person.
The project director including the officials engaged in supervision of the project should be accountable. Such multipurpose corruption is not acceptable in the name of multimedia project.