Morning Bangladesh Morning Bangladesh

​Staff Reporter:
​Grave allegations of financial irregularities amounting to nearly 67 million BDT have surfaced at the headquarters of the Department of Social Services (DSS), involving the violation of specific government financial allocation rules and the Public Procurement Rules (PPR). The allegations center around Assistant Director (Warehouse, Machinery, and Vehicles) Md. Kamrul Hasan Sarkar and Assistant Director (Administration-1) Md. Firadul Haque. Analysis of official documents and procurement accounts has revealed evidence of rule violations in the government procurement process,

splitting works to favor preferred contractors, and misusing government funds through vouchers and bills. It is alleged that the accused bypassed the laws and guidelines formulated to ensure transparency and accountability in public procurement, abusing their power to execute a conspiracy to embezzle a massive amount of public funds. According to official documents and procurement records gathered during an investigation, Md. Kamrul Hasan Sarkar and Md. Firadul Haque were directly involved in orchestrating the entire malpractice.

​According to the Public Procurement Rules, the maximum annual procurement limit under the Request for Quotation (RFQ) method is stipulated at 3 million BDT. However, various documents from the Department of Social Services show a total expenditure of 34.912 million BDT under the RFQ sector. This means an excess expenditure of 31.912 million BDT was incurred beyond the stipulated limit. ​Allegations indicate that the same sector or work was repeatedly divided into minor fractions and awarded to preferred contracting firms using the RFQ method. Among these beneficiary firms are New Bakerganj Decorators, Capital Electric, RJ Construction, Cellvision Systems, and Afrin Enterprise, alongside several others. These companies are accused of being allocated contracts worth tens of millions of BDT.

​Similarly, violations of rules have been reported in direct procurement or cash purchases through vouchers. The report states that according to the rules, the maximum annual limit for such procurements is 1 million BDT. However, an analysis of the expenditure documents of the Department of Social Services revealed purchases amounting to 21.494 million BDT made directly through vouchers. Consequently, an excess amount of 20.494 million BDT was withdrawn in the name of vouchers beyond the stipulated limit. It is alleged that instead of going through the government’s e-GP or open tender process, hundreds of vouchers were created for computer accessories, seminar bags, refreshments, fuel, cleaning supplies, and vehicle repairs, through which vast amounts of public funds were embezzled by Md. Kamrul Hasan Sarkar and Md. Firadul Haque.

​Additionally, severe irregularities were uncovered regarding bills worth 11.5 million BDT from the RFQ sector of the previous fiscal year. The investigative documents claimed that because these bills prepared in the past fiscal year lacked a proper official basis and were non-compliant, the accounts office had rejected and returned them. Allegations suggest that Md. Kamrul Hasan Sarkar and Md. Firadul Haque colluded to have those previously rejected bills from the accounts office cleared and the funds withdrawn in the current fiscal year. Consequently, bills stuck from the previous fiscal year were paid out as government funds in the subsequent fiscal year.

​When questioned about the PPR-non-compliant procurement and financial irregularities, Assistant Director (Warehouse, Machinery, and Vehicles) Md. Kamrul Hasan Sarkar attempted to evade responsibility by claiming he assumed office in December of the previous fiscal year. However, documents obtained through the investigation reportedly prove his involvement in purchases during that period. Specifically, information emerged that bills worth 11.5 million BDT rejected by the accounts office were subsequently withdrawn as dues belonging to Md. Kamrul Hasan Sarkar in the following fiscal year. On the other hand, multiple attempts to contact Assistant Director (Administration-1) Md. Firadul Haque via mobile phone went unanswered. A text message was subsequently sent to him, but he did not respond. When asked about the allegations of corruption and irregularities in last year’s procurement, Director General of the Department of Social Services Shah Mohammad Mahbub stated, “The expenditure under RFQ in the last fiscal year was kept within the allocated quota.” However, his statement differs from the data and calculations obtained through the investigation.

​When asked about the withdrawal of the 11.5 million BDT in bills that were suspended last year, the Director General initially stated he was unaware of the matter and would need to verify it. In a subsequent written response, he stated, “The suspended bills had no objections from the accounts office. Rather, due to allocation limitations, they were settled transparently as arrear liabilities from the budget of the following year in accordance with government rules and the provisions of the General Financial Rules (GFR).”
​Regarding the 34.912 million BDT expenditure under the RFQ sector, the Director General stated that the works were completed through various registered institutions across separate economic sectors within the limits of the rules. He also mentioned that since joining his current position, the Open Tendering Method (OTM) has been prioritized by reducing RFQs.

​Regarding cash and direct procurement, the Director General stated that the limit for voucher or cash purchases is 2.5 million BDT, and Direct Contracting Method (DCM) is applicable when necessary. According to his statement, while manual work took place with the authority’s approval, all subsequent procurements will be conducted via the e-GP system. Regarding the fragmentation of work and contractor selection, he stated that to avoid unnecessary package division, six works were executed competitively through OTM. He added that no new orders were placed under RFQ in the current fiscal year, rendering the allegations of favoring specific contractors groundless.

​However, investigations and document analysis based on sector-wise accounts from the previous fiscal year indicate a total financial irregularity and embezzlement of public funds amounting to 67.906 million BDT across three sectors: 31.912 million BDT in excess RFQ expenditures, 20.494 million BDT in excess direct voucher expenditures, and the 11.5 million BDT in previously returned bills. ​Meanwhile, multiple anonymous officials from the Department of Social Services stated that government funds were misappropriated without any actual work being performed, and a syndicate of the two assistant directors operated behind the scenes. According to them, these allegations require a swift and impartial investigation to safeguard public funds and ensure transparency in the procurement process.