The Metropolitan Christian Co-operative Housing Society has exposed a deep conspiracy orchestrated by certain individuals within its organization. Concurrently, a plot targeting the Cooperative Credit Union League of Bangladesh (CCULB), the umbrella body for all Christian credit unions in the country, has also come to light.
These allegations were unveiled on Thursday (September 12) during a press conference held at Archbishop Michael Bhavan in Manipuripara, Dhaka, where leaders from both organizations addressed the media.
Augustine Purification, Chairman of both the Cooperative Credit Union League of Bangladesh (CCULB) and the Metropolitan Christian Cooperative Housing Society, delivered the keynote address.
Prominent figures in attendance included Dr. Father Tapan de Rosario, Mr. Nirmal Rosario (President, Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Parishad, President of the Bangladesh Christian Association), Mr. Atiqullah Sarkar (Secretary, CCULB), Naresh Chandra Biswas (Treasurer, CCULB), Emmanuel Bappy Mondol (Secretary, Metropolitan Christian Co-operative Housing Society Ltd.), and freedom fighter Jonas Gomez.
During the press conference, Chairman Augustine Purification revealed, “A group of unscrupulous directors from the former CCULB board misappropriated substantial sums of money under the guise of facility construction and development projects. In response to demands from the public, the current committee initiated a thorough internal investigation. Some of those implicated remained within the current administration, and when evidence of corruption emerged, they resigned and went into hiding. Investigations uncovered significant financial mismanagement, including the misuse of funds for land purchases and the unauthorized approval of a bar license at CCULB Resort. Now, this group seeks to regain control of CCULB by spreading false, defamatory, and misleading information.”
Chairman Purification went on to detail the extent of financial losses during previous administrations. “CCULB incurred a staggering loss of Tk 38 crore 86 lakh 70 thousand during the fiscal year 2020-2021 due to reckless plundering. This grew to Tk 46 crore 84 lakh 61 thousand in the following year. The current committee took charge on November 11, 2022, at a time when CCULB’s capital stood at just over Tk 1,040 crore. By the end of the 2022-2023 fiscal year, we had successfully increased this to Tk 1,250 crore, while reducing the loss to just Tk 1 crore 96 lakh 75 thousand. We remain committed to paying dividends to our members and addressing all outstanding financial issues in the upcoming fiscal year.”
The chairman also noted that 13.975 percent of land has been secured on Madani Road in Bhatara for the construction of the organization’s head office, ‘CCULB Tower,’ with preliminary work already underway. Additionally, the capitalization of the CCULB Resort & Convention Hall has commenced, and strategic investments are being made in the housing industry. Significant land for housing projects has already been acquired in Barisal, Chittagong, and Mymensingh.
Addressing the achievements of the Metropolitan Christian Co-operative Housing Society, Purification stated, “When the current committee assumed leadership, the society’s assets were valued at Tk 222 crore. Today, that figure has grown to several thousand crores, with capital invested in profitable, visible projects. We have expanded from 12 flat projects to 203, with 40 buildings already under construction and an additional 19 in the pipeline. Our land projects have increased from 277 bighas to 1,000 bighas, and our plot projects have surged from 77 plots to 4,490. Numerous housing and income-generating initiatives for our members are also underway.”
Purification cautioned that while both CCULB and the Housing Society are scaling new heights of development, a known corrupt group has resurfaced in an attempt to deflect attention from their past transgressions. “This faction, in a calculated move, is attempting to undermine me personally, as chairman of both organizations, by disseminating lies through various media platforms, including social media, in an effort to discredit me and our work.”
In closing, Purification reaffirmed the commitment of the Housing Society to transparency and accountability. “All activities within the Housing Society are conducted in full accordance with the Cooperative Act, Bye-laws, and our Annual and General Meetings. This institution is not privately owned; it belongs to the Christian community. No individual outside the Christian community is permitted to deposit funds in this institution. Recently, baseless rumors circulated regarding a former minister, but there is no basis for these claims. Neither money nor assets of any individual involved with this misinformation are associated with this institution. Moreover, this organization does not hold any illegal assets.”
MB
