Why shouldn't govt be asked to probe

The High Court yesterday asked the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission to explain in four weeks as to why they should not be directed to run an enquiry into massive corruption and irregularities in the fertiliser sector managed by BCIC.

A bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah came up with the ruling in response to a writ petition filed by Zakir Hossain, a former official of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC).

Zakir on February 26 submitted reports on the corruption, which had been published in The Daily Star and Bangla dailies Prothom Alo and Kaler Kantho, to the court along with the petition seeking necessary orders on the authorities.

The HC took the media reports into consideration and passed the ruling, said Mohammad Belayet Hossain who moved the petition.

The secretary to the industries ministry, ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood and BCIC Chairman Mohammad Iqbal have been made respondents to the rule.

Referring to the petition, Belayet said the fertiliser sector is highly subsidised, and the subsidy comes from the revenue generated from taxpayers' money.

The government is doing great in the agriculture sector, but a corrupt syndicate might undo its achievement, according to the petition.  

If the corruption continues, it may lead to fertiliser and food crises in the country and so the court should intervene, the complainant said in the petition.

The Daily Star had run a series of reports shedding light on the misappropriation of fertiliser by a syndicate involved in shipment and transport, and mismanagement by BCIC contributing to the corruption that has been costing the state Tk 100 crore each year since 2009.