ACC exempts 13 passport officials from various charges

ACC

Jehangir Hussain

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has exempted 13 officers including Director of Immigration and Passport Directorate of the charges of various irregularities including acquisition of illegal assets, issuing illegal passports, says a letter signed by ACC secretary Mahbub Hossain.

On January 3, ACC sent a letter to the cabinet secretary stating that 13 passport officials were exempted from the complaint.

On Saturday, an official of the public relations department of the ACC said that the decision to exempt the officials was taken as the allegation against them could not be proved.

But, we are not aware of this, he added.

There were allegations of extra income through various irregularities and corruption against the concerned officials and employees involved in making illegal Bangladeshi passports in the name of the so-called Indian national Hafeez Ahmed, who is involved in the international crime syndicate.

In its acquittal letter, the commission stated that the investigation has been completed and the allegations brought against them were not proved.

Those exempted from the charge are - Director of Immigration and Passport Directorate (Administration and Finance) Hihab Uddin Khan, his wife and National Orthopaedic Hospital and Rehabilitation Institute (NITOR) Junior Consultant Sharmin Ara Begum, Passport Directorate Demography Branch’s Deputy Director Halima Khatun Sampa, Deputy Director (Administration) Md Ismail Hossain, Deputy Director (Installation) Tariq Salman, Assistant Director (Administration) Azizul Islam, System Analyst Mohammad Nazrul Islam Bhuiya and his wife Shafinaz Akhter, Assistant Director Magura District Office Nasreen Parveen Nupur and Deputy Assistant Director (Administration) Passport Directorate Safiqul Islam.

Assistant Maintenance Engineers Kaniz Fatema Chowdhury and Mahmudul Hasan and Assistant Accounts Officer Mohammad Masud Rana of Immigration and Passport Directorate have also been exempted.

In September  2022,  the ACC had filed the charge sheet against seven officials and employees of the Immigration and Passport Department on similar chrges.

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