Tk 360 cr grabbed for purchasing land

Chandpur University of Science and Technology

Staff Correspondent: Chandpur Deputy Commissioner Anjana Khan Majlish has alleged corruption in the process of land acquisition for Chandpur University of Science and Technology (CUST). In a recent report to the land ministry, he claimed that the government was losing about Tk 360 crore in the process.
There has been a lot of discussion about this. Many are speaking for and against. The leaders of the ruling party Awami League have also been involved in this discussion and criticism. They claim, ‘With this process, the Minister of Education, Dr. Dipu Moni’s family and her close ones are involved.’ However, the deputy commissioner did not name anyone in his report.
On 23 December 2019, the Cabinet gave final approval to the draft of ‘Chandpur University of Science and Technology Act-2019’. The bill to establish Chandpur University of Science and Technology was passed in the parliament on 9 September 2020. The journey of the university started on 15th September through the official gazette. From January 25, 2021, Professor Dr. Md. Nasim Akhtarofficially got the responsibility as the Vice-Chancellor of the university.
Work is already underway to acquire 60 acres of land for the university at Laxmipur village in Sadarupazila, just east of the Chandpur-Haimcharupazila road, four kilometers south of Chandpur district town. This is the main reason for allegations of corruption.
According to the report of the Deputy Commissioner, ‘According to the market price fixed by the Lakshmipur Sub-Registrar’s Office No. 115 of Chandpur SadarUpazila, the price of null, house / garden, pond / pond and VT class is Tk 13,602. The project estimate is Tk 193 crore 90 lakh 85 thousand 506.
But it can be seen that the tenders collected for the acquisition are very unusual as compared to the last fixed mouza price. ‘So that the financial loss of the government is Tk 359 crore 16 lakh 61 thousand 72.
Chandpur district Awami League president Nasir Uddin Ahmed told that there would be a science and technology university where students from all over the country would come to study. But this is being done in remote villages. Where there is no such system of travel. Besides, that place is 800 meters away from Meghna River. At any time, the Meghna can break into the rapids.
They have deliberately chosen such a place for university, and they have bought land there themselves. It is clear that this was done for personal gain.
He said that a ring is already working here to get around Tk 360 crore. The Deputy Commissioner of Chandpur has already informed the Ministry of Land in a letter. The process involved the education minister’s elder brother DrWadudTipu, cousin Zahidul Islam Roman, Selim Khan and many others, who are known to be close to the education minister. Land has also been bought there in their name.
Chandpur-4 ruling party MP Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman also wrote a column there alleging corruption. He claimed that in the case of land acquisition for the university, trade worth Tk 500-600 crore was going on freely. Since the power of the education minister himself and his brothers were involved, no one was talking. A survey was conducted when the conscious citizens of Chandpur brought the matter to the notice of the government through the intelligence agencies very carefully. The snake started coming out to dig the earthworm in the survey.
It is seen that the price per decimal of the land identified for acquisition is locally Tk 14 to Tk 15 thousand, if house is Tk 32 to Tk 33 thousand per decimal. Influential people buy this land by writing in documents from Tk 2 lakh 50 thousand to 3 lakh. A plan was hatched to pocket 20 times more price from the government by documenting Tk 14-15 thousand perdecimal land for two and a half to three lakh.
MP Shafiqur Rahman claimed that allocating space for the university was suicidal. Which flows into the fast flowing Meghna. Laxmipur Union Parishad area of Chandpur police station within 500-600 meters from the erosion prone Meghna bank. The chairman of the union council. Selim Khan. He is the Minister of Education. Dipu Moni and her brother very close to Tipu and under their umbrella have swindled crores of rupees with hundreds of dredgers in Meghna.
The sand trade is still going on, the erosion of the bottom of the Meghna has put the city of Chandpur at risk due to their trade worth hundreds of crores of taka. The idea of Chandpur residents is that if a university is established there, it will not take long for Meghna to disappear in the womb.
Apart from this, there is a lot of discussion going on through the media and social media. Someone says the cat in the bag has come out.
Some say it is a conspiracy against a transparent and honest government minister. Even the BNP has been vocal about this. At a press conference held at the BNP chairperson’s political office in Gulshan on January 25 afternoon, party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said,The BNP is expressing deep concern over the news of corruption of the Education Minister regarding the acquisition of land for the proposed Science and Technology University in Chandpur. We call upon the people to immediately present the real situation through a fair and impartial investigation into the matter.
If you want to know about the Minister of Education. Dipu Moni told, ‘My elder brother (WadudTipu) is a doctor. For some time, he had been buying small plots of land for hospitals and nursing homes.When we chose that land for Chandpur University of Science and Technology (Chambiprabi), my brother sold / transferred his land after the acquisition process started.
Apart from this, there is no land for me or my family in the land allotted for Chandpur University of Science and Technology (CUST). In the last 13 years, there has been a lot of infrastructure in my constituency. To this day, neither I nor my family owned a single piece of land in the acquired area. In fact, I have no land in Chandpur. ‘
The names of those who have land have come – Jahidul Islam Roman and Selim Khan; They acknowledge the closeness of politics and kinship. Dipu Moni said, ‘My only brother is my family there. However, Jahidul Islam Roman is my relative. Jahidul Islam Roman’s grandfather and my grandfather, they are also distant cousins. In that sense, he is my brother. A much bigger relationship than that is – politically we are close. My political family is much bigger.
The number of people in my political family in Chandpur is more than one lakh. Selim Khan is the UP chairman of the acquired area and the president of the Union Awami League. Every union chairman including him is close to me, this is normal and this is what should happen.’
The education minister said, “Whenever there is an acquisition, there is a tendency to buy land. Or those who have land, build installations. This practice is everywhere in Bangladesh. It may have happened in my place (Chandpur) too. I do not know. Who does politics with me or not, who bought the land? That’s not my thing. I don’t even have time to watch it. I have nothing to say even if someone close to me, politically close or unrelated, buys the land. ‘
He said, “The land ministry will look into whether the acquisition is being done legally or not.” It’s their job. Or if there is any other authority of the government, they will see. If the price of land in that place is not right, then the government will take whatever action is taken in that regard. I have no issues there either.
What I need to see is that the university that is supposed to be set up in my area will be set up in time. It should not be delayed by any problem related to land or any problem created.
Dr. Dipu Moni complained, “Such a quarter has raised questions about the acquisition of Chandpur Medical College land before.” Whenever there is talk of any major development work, this land will be demolished, it will be ruined, it is said. With this, the work of acquiring the land of the medical college is also being prolonged. It has been decided that Haimchar should be a special economic zone. Its land acquisition is also slow.
The reason is that a quarter does not want anything there (Chandpur-3) through me to do this big work. There is political opposition everywhere. There are various political conflicts. I may have more or less something there. That is a different matter.”
‘There’s only one like me, that price is fair; At that price the government will acquire according to the law. May my university be established without any delay. Those who object to my university should not be successful. Because they do not want the development of Chandpur,”he added.
He claims, ‘The propaganda that is going on, it is a fragmented area, there can be no university here; That’s not right. Seeing and hearing is being done in that place. This place has been fixed considering many aspects. Not in the city, not on the side of the highway, there are facilities to travel with many districts – this is such a place. This is a place on the river bank or near the river. But there are also embankments. The water development board has also suggested that the site could be set up.
Chandpur Deputy Commissioner Anjana Khan Majlish’s mobile phone was called to know about this but she did not respond. As a journalist, he sent a message on WhatsApp but the reply did not match.
However, when the matter was discussed, the ‘Deputy Commissioner Chandpur’ page on Facebook said, ‘The report regarding the land acquisition of Chandpur University of Science and Technology (CUST) is part of government work. It does not mention anyone’s name. As an employee of the republic, this report has been sent to save government money.’