Staff Reporter:
Cumilla district administrator Md Mostak Mia has clarified that he did not raise corruption allegations against July Uprising’s student leaders Hasnat Abdullah and Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, noting that the media might have “misrepresented” his statement in this regard.
Hasnat, now the lawmaker from Cumilla-4, and Asif Mahmud took total Tk25 crore from all the available public funds during the interim government’s tenure for the development of their respective upazilas, Md Mostak, also a BNP leader, said in a phone call with Hasnat on Saturday.
In widely reported public remarks, Md Mostak did not mean to say that the two leaders of NCP took the funds for their personal interests, the district administrator tells Hasnat as the youth confronts him over the reported allegation.
Hasnat uploaded an audio record of the phone conversation on his Facebook page to defend his case.
Earlier, Hasnat told a Bangla daily that he arranged for Tk5 crore fund from the state’s development budget for the well-being of the people from his upazila. He is even ready to beg for money for the betterment of his people, he told the newspaper.
Hasnat also challenged the district administration and the upazila administration to reveal their relevant records on fund disbursement and expenditure, and identify discrepencies that can be linked to him.
Earlier, at noon, Md Mostak Mia, BNP’s assistant organisational secretary in BNP’s Cumilla division unit, told the audience at a discussion event that Hasnat and Asif Mahmud took Tk10 crore and Tk15 crore respectively from the district administration’s revenue funds.
The event was held at Cumilla Shilpakala Academy marking the 45th death anniversary of former president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.
