ACC finds no trace of 144,000 tonne coal at Barapukuria

The Anti-Corruption Commission has found abnormalities in the coal extracted from the mine in Dinajpur’s Barapukuria in its initial investigations.

Its five investigators found no trace of 144,000 tonnes of coal on the yard of the mine during an inspection on Monday afternoon.     

According to papers, 146,000 tonnes of coal was supposed to be on the yard, but the investigators found only around 2,000 tonnes, Benazir Ahmed, a deputy director at the ACC’s Dinajpur office said.

Earlier, the ACC formed a committee to look into allegations of coal-related corruption at the mine, which forced a power plant there to halt operations on Sunday.

ACC Deputy Director Shamsul Alam is leading the committee and will be joined by Assistant Director ASM Sajjad Hossain and Deputy Assistant Director ASM Tajul Islam.

ACC Director Kazi Shafiqul Alam has been appointed to supervise the probe, said the commission’s spokesman Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya.

The committee has to complete the investigation and submit a report within 15 workdays.

Coal extraction has remained suspended at Barapukuria since Jun 16 due to machinery transfer, but mining will resume at the end of August, according to coalmine authorities.

The authorities have taken action against five top officials of the mining company over the disappearance of 116,000 tonnes of the extracted coal.

Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Managing Director Habib Uddin Ahmed and others have been accused of selling the coal for approximately Tk 2 billion through fraud, abuse of power and other illegal and corrupt means.