Tajul’s link ‘not found’ in crest scam

A parliamentary sub-committee, investigating the gold crest scam, is not finding evidence of former state minister for liberation war affairs AB Tajul Islam’s involvement in it.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 July 2014, 04:53 PM
Updated : 6 July 2014, 04:53 PM

However, liberation war affairs ministry found Tajul’s links in the scam.

Tajul is currently heading the parliamentary standing committee on liberation war affairs ministry.

After a meeting of the committee on Sunday, its member Iqbalur Rahim told bdnews24.com: “AB Tajul Islam’s link (to the scam) is not being found in whatever the committee has so far seen.”

He said the documents that the committee already checked suggested that Tajul Islam presided over two meetings on crest awarding.

“Even (expenditure) bills don’t contain his signature,” added Rahim, a Whip of Parliament.

Bottom-rung officials might be involved in the corruption, he said.

File Photo

Rahim said after one more meeting the committee might finalise its observation and recommendations.
Following allegations that gold crests awarded to foreign friends during Bangladesh’s Liberation War had less than standard-quantity of gold, the parliamentary panel on April 24 decided at a meeting to probe into the matter.
Md Afsarul Amin is leading the three-member sub-committee whose other members are Iqbalur Rahim and Gazi Golam Dastgir.
The ministry did its own investigation. According to media reports, the investigation had found involvement of Tajul, 13 ministry officials including former Secretary Mizanur Rahman and incumbent Secretary KH Masud Siddique and the private suppliers in the scam.
On June 17, it was said at a meeting of the parliamentary panel that the cases filed by the ministry against the two supplier firms would ‘create problems’ for the sub-committee inquiry.
The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs sued two companies for the alleged crest fraud.
The standing committee extended the time of the probe by one and a half months following a request from the sub-committee.
The committee also heard Tajul and secretary Mizanur.
One attending the meeting told bdnews24.com: “AB Tajul claimed that he was not involved in the scam. And Mizanur Rahman avoided answering many questions.”
He quoted Tajul as telling the meeting that he did not sign any expenditure documents and that Mizanur Rahman signed most of the documents.
After the meeting, Tajul Islam was tightlipped before the media.
A source attending the meeting said the parliamentary panel questioned the ministry investigation.
Enayetullah Khan, Senior Assistant Secretary to the ministry, filed a case against Banani-based Emicon's owner Mir Daud Ahmed aka Nazim and Md Mohsinul Hasan of Mohsinul Hasan located in Shantinagar over cheating and embezzlement.
On the other hand, in reply to a legal notice from Advocate Munzil Murshid, the ministry has said the fraud allegations were under investigation by the parliamentary sub-committee.
It added actions would be taken and new crests would be awarded to foreign friends after their probe was completed.