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Published : 09 Apr 2026, 09:02 PM
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched an inquiry into allegations of massive fund embezzlement and money laundering under the guise of maintaining and repairing the sound information system (SIS) at the parliament.
ACC Deputy Director Akhtarul Islam confirmed on Thursday that the anti-graft watchdog is investigating Zahidur Rahim Joarder, CEO of Communication Technology Limited, along with several engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD).
The move comes amid recurring technical glitches in the parliament.
On Mar 12, the opening session of the parliament, proceedings were halted due to sound failure.
Similar issues occurred on Apr 5, affecting even the speaker’s microphone and forcing a 40-minute adjournment.
A separate committee, led by the sergeant-at-arms, is currently investigating whether these repeated failures are acts of "sabotage".
According to the ACC, the suspects allegedly conspired to syphon off public funds by over-invoicing imports and claiming maintenance costs for a system that is largely obsolete.
Following the political shift on Aug 5, 2024, when protesters entered the parliament building, the PWD sought to repair the damaged SIS.
Communication Technology Limited claimed the system could be revived and reportedly submitted an estimate of Tk 90 million for maintenance and repairs.
The firm reportedly sought Tk 1.125 million for preliminary expenses, including engineers' travel and "honorariums".
The ACC is also looking into allegations that the same individuals embezzled hundreds of billions through medical equipment procurement in the health sector.
ACC Assistant Director Prabir Kumar Das, the investigating officer, has sent a formal letter to the Chief Engineer of the PWD demanding four types of documentation within seven days.
The documents include complete tender documents, administrative approvals, market price verification reports, work orders, stock registers, audit reports for various fiscal years, evidence of the firm’s experience, a report on the actual extent of damage incurred on Aug 5 and the personal details and current addresses of all engineers involved in the project.
The commission noted that previous attempts to collect these files were unsuccessful, causing significant delays in the inquiry which officially began on Jan 13.
