Railway's Mridha off the hook in 2 cases

The ACC has dropped charges against Bangladesh Railway’s (East Zone) former General Manager Yusuf Ali Mridha in two cases over irregularities in appointing staff.

The national anti-graft agency’s investigators submitted chargesheets to the court of Chittagong's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mashiur Rahman on Sunday.

The court has set Aug 27 for the hearing.

Widespread irregularities and corruption in railway recruitment came to light when Tk 7 million, reportedly collected from job seekers, was found in the car of former Railway Minister Suranjit Sengupta's Assistant Personal Secretary Omar Faruq Talukder.

The car was stopped at Border Guard Bangladesh’s Peelkhana headquarters in the early hours of Apr 9, 2012.

Mridha was also in the car. Later, he was suspended and Talukder sacked.

The ACC filed five cases on Sept 13 that year for irregularities in appointing over 1,000 employees in six different categories in Railway’s East Zone.

ACC's counsel Mahmudul Haque told bdnews24.com on Sunday the investigators did not press charges against Mridha in the cases filed over irregularities in appointing Goods Assistant and Record Keeper for the railway.

The former railway GM, however, has been charged with wrongdoing over appointment to the posts of Ticket Issuer, Tool Keeper, Assistant Chemist and Fuel Checker.

Mridha also faces another case filed by the ACC over his allegedly acquiring illegal wealth.