Staff Reporter:
The Ministry of Home Affairs has taken disciplinary action against two senior public officials over allegations of corruption, financial irregularities and document forgery.
According to separate gazette notifications issued here yesterday, former jailor of Panchagarh District Jail Md. Abdul Fattah has been dismissed from service over alleged embezzlement of Taka 1.33 crore from prison food supply funds.
Meanwhile, Dr. Dulal Krishna Saha, chief chemical examiner of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), has been ordered into compulsory retirement over fraudulent travel allowance claims amounting to Taka 3.15 lakh, the notification added.
Both decisions followed departmental inquiries and recommendations from the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC), under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018.
According to the departmental investigation, Fattah was found responsible for irregularities involving 37 allegedly fraudulent bills linked to three supplier names: Baba Mayer Doya, Nur Store and Shuvo S-Mill.
Investigators reportedly found that inflated food ration requisitions were submitted despite low inmate numbers while procurement and payment procedures were bypassed.
The investigation also identified alleged collusion involving several officials responsible for prison administration and financial processing.
The inquiry found that Taka 1,33,20,000 was involved in the irregular transactions.
The report further stated that the money was deposited through 39 treasury challans at Sonali Bank’s Panchagarh branch, including Taka 80 lakh deposited personally by Fattah.
The ministry initiated Departmental Case No. 12/2025 against him on charges of misconduct and corruption.
Following the inquiry and BPSC concurrence on September 27, 2026, the ministry imposed the penalty of dismissal from service under Rule 4(3) (d) of the 2018 rules.
In a separate case, Dr. Dulal Krishna Saha, a senior official of the Department of Narcotics Control, was ordered into compulsory retirement over allegedly fraudulent travel allowance claims totalling Taka 3,15,757.
The departmental inquiry found that Saha had allegedly used forged court summonses and witness attendance certificates to claim travel allowances without attending the relevant court proceedings.
He was also accused of falsifying travel itineraries and forging signatures to bypass the required departmental approval process.
According to the allegations, the irregularities involved claims for air travel over the period from June 2000 to January 2023, despite his lack of the required administrative entitlement.
The ministry brought the charges under Departmental Case No. 14/2025.
Following the inquiry and BPSC recommendation, the authority imposed compulsory retirement under Rule 4(3) (b) of the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018.
The cases highlight disciplinary action against alleged corruption involving public funds in two separate government departments.
While Fattah faced dismissal over the substantially larger financial irregularity, Saha was ordered into compulsory retirement over fraudulent travel claims and document forgery.
Both decisions were issued by order of the President through the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Security Services Division.
The cases also underscore the role of departmental investigations and the BPSC in determining disciplinary penalties against public servants.
