A case has been filed in court against 97 people, including the Chief Engineer of Public Works, in the infernal incident of the anti-discrimination student movement and the July mass uprising.
Shamim Akhtar, Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department, along with several chief engineers and executive engineers of his organization, are involved in this murder. The accused are (1) Md. Shamim Akhtar, Chief Engineer, Public Works Department, (2) Augustine Purification, Chairman (Calv) (3) Md. Jalal Ahmed, Awami League leader, Faridganj. (4) Shahin Alam, Sub-Registrar Tejgaon, (5) Md. Shahabuddin Ahmed (Jhar), (6) Maimura Iqra, Faridganj Awami League leader, (7) Md. Kamal Nayeb, (8) Md. Hasibul Alam Talukder, (9) S. M. Firoz Alam, (10) Md. Ripon Munshi, (11) Nasim Khan, Additional Chief Engineer Public Works, (12) Md. Ujjal Mia, (13) Md. Mokhlesh Thakur, (14) Shahed Mia Babul (Lab Aid Babul)(15) Md. Ansar Uddin Bepari, Awami League financier, (16) Kazi Tarek Shamsh, Awami League financier, (17) Md. Babu Sheikh..(18) Shankar Chandra Howlader, (19) Hiron Chandra Howlader.(20) Jhantu Chandra Hawlader, (21) Md. Abul Kashem. (22) Md. Atiqul Islam. Executive Engineer Public Works Department, (23) Prashant Dutta, Building Inspector 4/1 Mohakhali RAJUK, (24) Patrick Palma. GM Club, (25) Mohammad Aman Ullah, Public Works, (26) Tajul Islam, Awami League financier, (27) Sarwar Zaman Chowdhury, Awami League financier, (28) Kazi Md. Wahidul Islam, Awami League financier, Chairman Rupali Bank, (29) Md. Enamul Haque, Public Works, Borababu 12th floor, (30) Md. Tariqul Islam, (31) Mahfuz Alam, Staff Officer, Public Works, (32) Md. Saifuzzaman Chunnu, Faridpur Public Works, (33) Abu Sufian Mahabub, Executive Engineer Gopalganj Public Works, (34) Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, Additional Chief Engineer Public Works, (35) Md. Nesar Ahmed (Babul),, Spa Babul, (36) Md. Abul Hashem, Awami League financier (37) Mohammad Bahar, Spa Bahar, (38) Tushar Mohan Sadhu Kha, Public Health Engineers Department, (39) Joton Debnath, Gazipur Development Officer. Since the case, these engineers, beneficiaries of the ousted Awami League government, are in fear of arrest. A case has been filed against them at Badda Police Station, No. CR 63/25, Police Station FIR Case No. 06, March 3. On the other hand, it is known that some of them may be brought to justice for corruption. As a result, these important engineers are not regular in work. This has led to stagnation. Throughout the department. In the meantime, some have been transferred outside Dhaka. Even that has not brought back the momentum of work.
It is alleged that these engineers, who owned hundreds of crores of taka through irregularities and corruption in various projects during the tenure of the ousted Hasina government, provided crores of taka to suppress the movement in July-August. Complaints have been filed against many of them with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and an investigation is underway. In addition, far from taking action against these officials who were at the forefront of corruption during the Awami League government, many of them have been repeatedly rewarded.
After the interim government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus came to power, the process of bringing these engineers, known as allies of those trying to sabotage the movement, to trial is underway. In continuation of this, separate murder cases have been filed against these engineers in the capital’s Paltan, Rampura and Savar police stations. Cases have also been filed in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka. Many of them were active members of the Bangabandhu Engineers Council.
When we spoke to some of the engineers on the list of accused, they said that they are people from several contracting companies involved in these cases. Their main objective is to try to obtain contracting work and financial benefits by putting the accused in the case under various pressures. The heads of the contracting companies are now deliberately showing fear of arrest in this case. It is being said that they will get relief from the case if they pay money.
They also said that it is true that during the previous authoritarian Awami League government, there are allegations of partisanship and corruption, including controversial activities, against some officials. Those who enjoyed privileges and committed corruption and irregularities during the previous government should definitely be tried. Instead, cases have been filed indiscriminately. There will be a fear of losing their jobs and being arrested in cases.
The engineers allege that no specific steps are being taken by the ministry or department to resolve the cases. None of the top officials of the Public Works Department are willing to speak on the matter.
Several engineers, who did not want to be named, told the media that everything happens at the will of those in power here. In addition to killing students and the public, many are also involved in corruption. They are now trying to become engineers. Earlier, these public works engineers got involved in widespread corruption by forming friendships with GK Shamim.
They also said that a few days ago, Ashraful Alam came to the Public Works Department as an additional chief engineer (reserve). He was in the Public Works Department before that too. At that time, there were allegations of huge irregularities against him. He was removed from his post due to corruption and transferred as the Director General of the Housing and Building Research Institute.
There are rumors that he will take over the post of chief engineer in a few days. There are allegations against him of cooperating in suppressing the student-public movement; but for mysterious reasons, no case has been filed. Everyone in the Public Works Department knows him as a corrupt official.
When asked to comment on the allegations, Ashraful Alam, the additional chief engineer of the Public Works Department, did not answer his mobile phone. Later, when he tried to talk to Chief Engineer Mohammad Shamim Akhtar about the case, he
