Fraudsters used old MP hostel as office!

Fraudsters opened a temporary office at an old MP Hostel and deceived people for one year despite top security inside the National Parliament premises.

Sources said outsiders in connivance with an influential caretaker of the hostel lured people into giving them money for jobs and maintained liaison with different ministries to win bids.

The illegal activities surfaced when Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police on Tuesday night busted three of the gang -- Mahmudul Hasan alias Monir Hossain, 42, Hassan Mahmud alias Ripon, 42 and Yusuf Ali, 32.

They were arrested at an MP Hostel located at Block-4, said Sub-inspector Saiful Islam. He added they had also arrested hostel caretaker Salahuddin, 45, the next day.

A case was filed on Wednesday accusing the four and two other employees of parliament -- Idris Ali, a fourth class employee, and Sujit Kumar Dey, an administrative officer.

SI Saiful, who is the investigation officer in the case, said Mahmudul had been identifying himself as a major or a DGFI official while deceiving people.

He used to carry fake visiting cards and use a car with a sticker that was supposed to be used only by lawmakers, added the SI.

Police seized the car from Block-5 and several fake visiting cards from the illegal office, he added.

Law enforcers on duty in the parliament complex said they had caught caretaker Salahuddin along with the three outsiders on Tuesday night and turned them in to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police.

But the police refused to detain the caretaker as he reportedly maintained close connection with several lawmakers and ministers, they added.

SI Saiful, however, said he was not aware of the matter.

Mahmudul, Ripon and Yusuf were placed on two-day remand each on Wednesday.

The arrest and subsequent revelation of illegal activities inside the parliament complex have raised questions regarding the security of the House and responsibilities of persons related to the MP hostels.

The room where the outsiders were running their illegal office is allotted to ruling Awami League lawmaker Kabirul Haq from Narail-1 constituency.

Kabirul denied his involvement in any illegal activities but confirmed that the room was allotted to him.

“I have never gone to the room or taken care of it since I got the allotment,” he said.

Contacted, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said a three-member committee, headed by Senior Secretary Ashraf Mokbul of the Parliament Secretariat, had been formed to investigate the matter.

“The committee was asked to submit a report in seven days. Action against the guilty and measures to strengthen security of the parliament area will be taken once the report is submitted,” she told The Daily Star over phone.

The Speaker further said the House Committee of the Jatiya Sangsad would also submit necessary suggestions to the Parliament Secretariat in this regard.

Earlier in April 2012, the decomposed body of an unidentified woman was found at an MP Hostel in Block-6.