Probe launched into ‘irregularities’ allegation against Khulna WASA engineer 

KHULNA, Oct 15: The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched an investigation into allegations involving a Tk 84 crore “blank cheque” linked to Khulna Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA).

An ACC team conducted a drive at the Khulna WASA office on Wednesday afternoon to collect information and examine relevant documents. During the operation, the team questioned Executive Engineer-1 Rezaul Islam and searched his office before reviewing various official records.

According to ACC and WASA sources, Rezaul Islam was assigned as project director on a routine basis for the Water Supply Project Phase-II. Allegations have surfaced that he was involved in irregularities and became project director in 2025 through improper financial transactions.

He was also accused of providing blank cheques worth around Tk 9 billion to an influential group at the time to secure the project director’s position. He was subsequently removed from the project responsibility after the matter became known and allegations of corruption and irregularities emerged.

Separately, on September 27, Rezaul Islam was served a show-cause notice over allegations that a final bill had been submitted twice for the same connection under a project to install 5,000 household water-supply connections, including pipes and fittings for WASA customers.

The ACC has begun investigating following these and other allegations.

Assistant Director of the ACC’s Khulna Integrated District Office, Md Zahid Fazal, said Rezaul Islam had been questioned and documents related to the project and the allegations were being examined. “The matter is under investigation,” he said.

Contacted, Rezaul Islam denied the allegations, saying they were not true. He said he would respond to the show-cause notice, adding that he had also replied to such notices previously.