Tk 3 per kg!

No matter what the quality of rice was, millers had to pay Tk 3 for per kilogramme as bribe to Ilias Hossain, in-charge of the Local Supply Depot in Khulna.

The matter came to light after Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) caught Ilias red-handed while taking Tk 1 lakh bribe from one Kamruzzaman yesterday.

“Millers were upset. They could not make any profit due to the bribe,” said Kamruzzaman, proprietor of MA Zaman Auto Rice and Processing Mills in Dumuria.

ACC Assistant Director Shawon Miah later filed a case against Ilias.

Kamruzzaman said he collected 900 tonnes of Boro paddy last year and supplied it to the Dumuria depot after processing.

But till date, he did not receive any money against his supply. “To approve the bill, Ilias demanded Tk 7.5 lakh and asked for Tk 1 lakh in advance on Thursday,” he said.

The miller informed the ACC integrated district office in Khulna about the matter.

An ACC team took position near the depot, and one of them accompanied Kamruzzaman inside the office and witnessed the transaction. As soon as the money changed hands, the team detained Ilias and seized Tk 1 lakh.

Ilias was produced before a district judge’s court that sent him to jail, said the assistant director.