ACC arrests Karnaphuli GM, manager

Members of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday arrested Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Limited (KGDCL)'s general manager (GM), and its manager in a case filed on charges of installing illegal gas connection to residences and changing gas connections' holder name to another, violating government directions.

GM Md Sarwar Hossain of the organisation's Engineer Service Division, and Mojibur Rahman, the manager (load dispatch), were arrested from port city's Agrabad area, said sources.

Earlier, Deputy Assistant Director Sharif Uddin of ACC, Chattogram office, filed the case, accusing five, including four officials of KGDCL.

The two other accused are KGDCL's former general manager (sales) Mohammed Ali Chowdhury and technician Didarul. Apart from that, ACC sued Mujibur Rahman -- managing director of Sanowara Group and son of Nurul Islam, former minister for expatriates' welfare and overseas employment.

The others have not been arrested yet.

Advocate Kazi Sanwar Hossain Lavlu, a lawyer of ACC, said, "The arrestees were produced before the court of Chattogram Session Judge Ashfaqur Rahaman, which sent the duo to jail after hearing."

ACC sources said Sharif filed the case, after the anti-graft watchdog found truth to an allegation of shifting gas line connections to another name and installing new connections.

According to the case statement, the accused in collaboration with each other, shifted 12 gas connections (double-burner), issued in the name of one MA Salam in the Halishahar area, to Mujibur Rahman of Sanowara Residential Area, although there is no scope of changing the user's name.

Apart from that, the accused also installed 10 new connections to Sanowara Residential Area, despite a ban on installing new gas connections since February 28, 2016.

Despite repeated attempts, Mujibur's phone was found switched off.