A case was filed against 19 former and current officials of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited (BCMCL), including its Managing Director Habib Uddin Ahmed, over disappearance of 144,644 tonnes of coal worth around Tk 230 crore.
Mohammad Anisur Rahman, Manager (administration) of Barapukuria Coal Mine Company, Limited (BCMCL), filed the case with Parbatipur Model Police Station on Tuesday night, said Habibul Haq, officer-in-charge of the police station.
According to the case statement, the 19 incumbent and former officials of the company were involved with the disappearance of 1.45 lakh tonnes of coal from the mine yard. Habib Uddin Ahmed, Managing Director, Abul Quasem Prothania, General Manager (mine operation), ATM Nuruzzaman Chowdhury, Masudur Rahman Hawladar, General Manager (general services) and Deputy General Manager (store) Khaledul Islam, who were earlier suspended over the scam, are among the accused.
The other accused include Ashok Kumar Hawladar, Manager (production management); Arifur Rahman, Manager (maintenance and operation); Zahidul Islam Manager (design, construction and maintenance); Akramul Haque, Deputy Manager (safety management); Khalilur Rahman, Deputy Manager (coal handling and management); Morsheduzzaman, Deputy Manager (maintenance and operation); Habibur Rahman, Deputy Manager (production management); Zahidur Rahman, Deputy Manager (mine development); Sattyen Nath Barman, Assistant Manager (ventilation management); Syed Imam Hasan, Manager (security); Zobaer Ali, Deputy General Manager (mine planning operation); Abdul Mannan Patwari, former General Manager (finance) and Gopal Chandra Saha, General Manager (finance); and Abul Kashem Prodhania and Mosharaf Hossain, former General Manager (exploration) and Secretary of the company.
On July 23, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) formed a three-member probe committee to look into the 'disappearance of coal' from Barapukuria coal mine. According to an ACC unofficial note, Managing Director of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited Habib Uddin Ahmed and others allegedly sold 1.16 lakh tonnes of coal and embezzled Tk 200 crore. Officials said the shortage of coal came to their notice a few days back when a team from Power Development Board visited the coal mine and found that there was no adequate reserve of coal in the yard of the mine.
Petrobangla top officials identified inconsistency in the coal reserve in the coal mine yard.
As per the official investigation, the stock was found to have a shortage of 148,000 tonnes of coal and finally, Petrobangla has formed a three-member inquiry committee, headed by its director (mining) Quamruzzaman, to investigate the issue of the coal shortage and suspended a number of BCMCL officials.
Meanwhile, Benazir Ahmed, deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Dinajpur district office, said, "The commission is continuing with the investigation of the Barapukuria coal mine case. We will on the next step on the next step based on the related documents."
