PWD additional chief engineer made OSD
The Housing and Public Works Ministry on Tuesday made an additional chief engineer of the Public Works Department an officer on special duty (OSD) in the wake of the ongoing crackdown on the “casino” business in the capital and a bribery controversy in the department.
Additional Chief Engineer Utpal Kumar Dey was made OSD in the face of a bribery controversy involving SM Golam Kibria Shamim, an influential PWD contractor, who is currently in police custody, PWD Chief Engineer Md Shahadat Hossain told this paper yesterday.
The controversy, which involves Dey’s name, gave a negative impression of the department, he said.
Dey was additional chief engineer of PWD’s Dhaka metropolitan zone.
As an OSD, Dey has been relieved of any duty, said Shahadat Hossain.
The National Board of Revenue yesterday asked banks to freeze the accounts of Dey and his spouse and provide details of the accounts, said a senior NBR official, preferring anonymity.
The tax authority stepped in to check the bank details of Dey a day after the public works ministry made him OSD.
An instruction has already been sent to banks asking for information on Dey’s and his wife’s accounts, the official said.
Dey is the third PWD engineer to face investigation by tax authorities. On Tuesday, the NBR asked for the details of two former top engineers of PWD -- former chief engineer Md Rafiqul Islam and former additional chief engineer Abdul Hye.
This correspondent could not reach Dey for comments despite several attempts.
PWD contractor SM Golam Kibria Shamim was arrested on Friday on charges of tender manipulation, extortion, and running drug and gambling rackets in one of the three cases filed against him on Saturday.
Shamim was later taken on a ten-day police remand.
His construction firm GKB and Company (Pvt) Limited is implementing at least 15 large construction projects of the government, involving around Tk 3,000 crore, said the company’s marketing manager Shafaeth Hossain on Saturday.
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