ACC to probe crest impurity

The Anti-Corruption Commission has decided to investigate the allegations of impurity in the crests awarded to foreign friends and organisations for their outstanding contribution to the country's Liberation War.
ACC Chairman M Bodiuzzaman confirmed the decision. “The decision was made at our regular meeting. However, we are yet to assign any investigation officer [to look into the matter],” he told The Daily Star yesterday.
According to media reports, a Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) test of the shields found that each shield only had 2.363 grams of gold and 466.237 grams of brass. However, the policy decision was that every shield would be made with 22.5 grams of gold and 339 grams of silver. The shields supposed to be made of wood, gold and silver hardly had any precious metals in them, and the government was robbed of around Tk 7.04 crore while making and purchasing subpar shields, found a probe by a committee led by Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Zillar Rahman
The report was submitted to Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque in May.
The report held 12 people responsible for the purchase and making of subpar crests, including former state minister for Liberation War Affairs AB Tajul Islam, Secretary of Liberation War Affairs Mizanur Rahman, former secretary KH Masud Siddique, Additional Secretary Golam Mustafa, Joint Secretary Abul Quasem Talukdar, Deputy Secretary Enamul Quader Khan and Senior Assistant Secretary Babul Mia.
Golam Mustafa and Babul Mia were made officer on special duty (OSD) before the probe report was submitted. Abul Kashem Talukdar was made OSD allegedly for obtaining fake freedom fighter's certificate.