The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Detained former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and all members of her Cabinet's Purchase Committee, including M Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizamee, Dr Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, MK Anwar, M Shamsul Islam, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Barrister Aminul Haque, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury--and former State Minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain were implicated in a new corruption case yesterday.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Shahbag Police Station in the capital alleging that the accused in connivance with each other and other co-accused incurred a loss to the tune of Tk 157 crore and 75 lakhs to the national exchequer through corruption, while awarding the Barapukuria Coalmine Project to a foreign company without any tender in 2004.

It may be mentioned here that this is the first graft case, after the January 11 (2007) changeover, against former senior ministers-BNP (reformist) Acting Chairman M Saifur Rahman, top BNP reformist and former Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, BNP Standing Committee members MK Anwar and M Shamsul Islam and Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid-all of whom were reported to be in the good book of present the Caretaker Government.

Dr Khandakar Mosharraf Hossan, Barrister Aminul Haque and Altaf Hossain Chowdhury were detained earlier in different graft and criminal cases, while AKM Mosharraf Hossain was implicated.

Other co-accused of the Barapukaria Coalmine graft case are-former Acting Secretary Nazrul Islam, former Petrobangla Chairman SR Osmani, former Petrobangla Director Mainul Ahsan, former Managing Director Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd (BCMCL) and Moazzem Hossain, Chairman of Hosaf Group, a private business house. The number of total accused is 16.

ACC Assistant Director Md Shamsul Alam lodged the case at 5.15 pm. Shahbag Police Station resistrared the allegation as a regular charge with case no 53 dated February 26, 2008.

According to the case details, the accused had roles in Barapukuria coalmine graft that cost the state coffers Tk 157 crore and 75 lakhs.

The ACC alleged three companies took part in the bidding, but none of them qualified for the Barapukuria Coal Mine Project

Petrobangla decided to float fresh international tender, but the Government recommended a deal with CMC (Consortium of China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation), ignoring a Petrobangla proposal for fresh bidding.

A deal was signed with the Chinese company on June 4, 2005.

Hosaf Group worked as a local agent for the coalmine project's Chinese developer CMC. Hosaf Chairman Moazzem Hossain, who was believed to have close links to the ruling BNP high-ups and maneuevered the contract in exchange of kickbacks.

Barapukuria Coal Mining Company owned by the Petrobangla operates the coal mine constructed in Barapukuria in the district of Dinajpur.

CMC established its foothold in Bangladesh through a 1994 deal with Petrobangla to develop Barapukuria coalmine.

Later, CMC signed a management, production and maintenance services contract with Petrobangla in 2005 due to Hosaf's strong leverage over the BNP.

The Executive Committee of National Economic Council approved the Barapukuria project in 1992, when the first BNP Government led by Begum Zia was in power.