Punished for telling the tale of boss's bribery to press

A class four employee of the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) in Nazirpur office in Pirojpur got immediate transfer to Galachipa upazila in Patuakhali as he allegedly gave information of corruption by his boss to the journalists.

Sources said Md Abdul Khaleq Hawlader, sub-assistant engineer of DPHE of Nazirpur upazila, took a large amount of bribe from the locals for giving them deep tube-wells but all the people concerned were not given the tube-wells.

The official engaged Md Sohrab Hossain, a tube-well mechanic of DPHE office in Nazirpur, for collecting the bribe money.

A few national and local newspapers ran reports on the matter a few days ago.

“Sir (Abdul Khaleq) told me to collect money from the locals for giving deep tube-wells, I brought the money. People had to give Tk 40,000-50,000 for installing a deep tube-well although the real cost is Tk 5,000," said Sohrab.

“As I disclosed the matter to local journalists, I have been transferred from Nazirpur to Galachipa in Patuakhali. I got the transfer letter from the Barisal zonal office of DPHE on Sunday afternoon. It was singed on July 15 and July 21 was the last day of joining," he said.

Sohrab joined Galachipa office on June 20.

“When I asked Sohrab if he collected money from the locals on behalf of Abdul Khaleq, he admitted the matter to me in presence of the engineer,” said Lahel Mahmud, Nazirpur correspondent of Bangla daily Jugantor that published the news on bribery concerning setting up of deep tube-wells on July 13.

“With some other sources, I collected some information from Sohrab Hossain,” said Sheikh Jakir Ahmed, Nazirpur correspondent of local daily Pirojpurer Katha where reports of corruption against Abdul Khaleq was published on July 20.

After publication of the incidents of bribery concerning tube-wells and misappropriating sanitation project money in the upazila, Abdul Khaleq Hawlader took leave and extended it for several days showing different reasons, said office sources.

Sources said, not only Khaleq, but also some of his bosses in DPHE office are involved in the scam as they share the bribe money.

Khaleq could not be contacted for his version as his cell phone remained off.

This correspondent also called the executive engineer in Pirojpur but he did not receive his land and cell phones.