Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) has allegedly resorted to fraud in the sale of building design approval application forms. A syndicate has been doing these frauds for a long time. The gang stole crores of money by forging bank deposit slips.
The CDA has identified three members of the syndicate. Many complaints have been filed in the CDA office in these incidents. CDA takes action when the issue of money fraud in the sale of design approval form becomes public.
In view of these incidents, Chattogram Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) raided the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) office.
According to the ACC, this operation was conducted after receiving a call on the ACC hotline number 106. ACC officials reviewed some of the company's documents.
A team of 10 members of the ACC conducted the operation on Wednesday afternoon. Chattogram ACC Deputy Director Nazmus Sadat led the operation. He said, we came to this operation after receiving a complaint on our hotline number. The complaint to us was that money was being embezzled by forging the seal and signature of the bank on the building design approval form. We were there for a while. We have asked for two years of documents of the company. If there is any discrepancy with the bank account. They said they will give us all the documents.
CDA Chief Engineer Kazi Hasan bin Shams said, I have written to the secretary to take action after the fraud was detected. It has been requested to investigate and take action against the culprits. I learned that the syndicate of three people is involved in form fraud. If there is any, that too will come out in the investigation. ACC came, we will give them all possible support.
CDA Chairman Zahirul Alam Dubhash's mobile phone was tried several times, but he did not pick up the call.
According to sources, each customer has to deposit 2000 taka for sale of building design approval form and 20 taka for welfare fund to the revenue sector. This money has to be deposited in a specified account number in Pubali Bank.
Although the form is supposed to be sold after depositing the money in the bank, a syndicate of CDA applied on behalf of the customer in exchange of a large sum of money.
Instead of depositing money in the bank for selling the form, he forged the seal-signature and made a bank deposit slip. Add that deposit slip to the customer's application file.
Even if the money is not deposited in the bank, the design approval application is accepted with a fake slip. The entire Tk 2000 per application form goes into the syndicate's pocket. Recently, when one such fraud was detected, there was a sensation in the CDA.
After that, the evidence of fraudulently selling hundreds of forms started coming forward. However, CDA is not yet sure how much money has been embezzled through fraud
According to CDA information, Shahdat Hossain and Mahtab working in CDA Deskpassbranch, Peon Abdul Hai of Authorized Branch, Personal Assistant of Deputy Chief Town Planner Sohail and Section Officer Ashrafi are with the fraud ring.
