Staff Correspondent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several former officials who once held important positions in Bangladesh\u2019s state-run fuel procurement system have joined private businesses associated with a business group led by Dr Ejazur Rahman soon after their retirement, raising questions about possible conflicts of interest in the country\u2019s strategic fuel procurement sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the former officials served in senior positions at Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) or its subsidiary oil marketing companies. Others were directly involved in fuel procurement and marketing, while some handled international suppliers, tender processes and pricing-related activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An investigation found that at least 10 former officials who previously worked at BPC or its affiliated organisations have, at different times, worked for or become associated with Seven Mark and TransBangla Commodities Ltd, businesses linked to Ejazur Rahman, according to current and former BPC officials and people familiar with the fuel sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The development has prompted questions over whether expertise, institutional contacts and knowledge acquired during government service may provide a commercial advantage to a particular business group after officials retire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The investigation also found that businesses associated with Ejazur Rahman have operated in close geographical proximity to BPC’s Dhaka liaison office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seven Mark and TransBangla Commodities Ltd are reportedly operating their corporate activities from the same building in the Karwan Bazar area of Dhaka where BPC’s Dhaka liaison office is also located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No specific legal provision was found during the investigation that expressly prohibits a private company representing international fuel suppliers from maintaining an office in the same building as BPC’s liaison office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, people familiar with the sector said the proximity could raise questions, particularly because international fuel tenders involve commercially sensitive information, including bid prices, premiums and other contractual terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In competitive international fuel tenders, even a small difference in the quoted price can determine the lowest bidder. Access to information about competing bids before a tender is finalised could, in principle, provide a commercial advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several current and former BPC officials alleged that businesses associated with Ejazur Rahman have been able to use longstanding contacts within the state-owned organisation to obtain favourable positions in certain tenders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The allegations, however, could not be independently verified, and no documentary evidence establishing such influence was available for this report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A review of BPC’s list of international refined-fuel suppliers also highlights the business relationships between companies associated with Ejazur Rahman and several international suppliers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of the 11 international refined-fuel suppliers listed with BPC, at least six reportedly have local representation or business links with Seven Mark or TransBangla Commodities Ltd, according to information gathered during the investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seven Mark reportedly represents Singapore-based Unipec and Indonesia’s BSP-JAPIN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TransBangla Commodities Ltd, meanwhile, reportedly has local representation or business relationships involving Petco Trading Labuan Company Ltd, PTT International Trading, Vitol Asia and Sinochem International.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although the international suppliers are separate entities, a significant part of their local business representation in Bangladesh is reportedly connected to the same two companies associated with Ejazur Rahman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One example of a former BPC official becoming associated with the business group is Mustafa Qudrat-e-Elahi, a former managing director of Jamuna Oil Company Ltd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several BPC sources said Elahi joined TransBangla Commodities Ltd in March this year. The sources also claimed that when Ejazur Rahman is abroad, Elahi plays an important role in various fuel-related business activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, his exact position at TransBangla Commodities, the nature of his responsibilities and the precise date of his formal appointment could not be independently confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officials familiar with BPC said the movement of former government officials into private companies operating in the same sector raises questions over whether professional relationships, institutional knowledge and contacts developed during government service are subsequently being used for commercial purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also questioned whether the recruitment of former senior officials by companies representing major international fuel suppliers could create potential conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some BPC officials claimed that in several international fuel tenders over the past few years, companies represented locally by businesses associated with Ejazur Rahman won contracts after quoting prices marginally lower than those of competing bidders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They said the claim could be properly assessed only by examining BPC’s bid sheets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Staff Correspondent: Several former officials who once held important positions in Bangladesh\u2019s state-run fuel procurement system have joined private businesses associated with a business group led by Dr Ejazur Rahman soon after their retirement, raising questions about possible conflicts of interest in the country\u2019s strategic fuel procurement sector. Some of the former officials served in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bangladesh","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n