Complete Rooppur pillow scam investigation within 6 months: HC to ACC

The High Court has directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to complete the investigations into three cases filed over the much-discussed Rooppur pillow scam within the next six months.

At the same time, the court adjourned the hearing of the bail petition of Shafiqul Islam, deputy assistant engineer of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project - accused in the three cases.

The court said the decision on Shafiqul's bail will be taken once the probe report is submitted.

The bench of Justice Nazrul Islam Talukdar and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the order on Monday.

At the court, Advocate Sayeed Ahmed Raza argued for the accused, Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the ACC, and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.

The corruption and irregularities in the purchase of furniture at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project in Ishwardi Upazila of Pabna came to light following a media report last May.

Items purchased to furnish the apartments of several project officials were found to be unusually higher than prevailing market prices, according to the media reports.

A pillow was found to have been bought for Tk5,957, while the delivery cost from store to apartment building came to Tk760.

Reports also found that a total of Tk36.4 crore had been swindled in the "pillow scam" under the Rooppur project in Pabna - a district in western Bangladesh, 213km from the capital.

An electric stove was bought for Tk7,747 and the carrying cost from ground to top floor came to a whopping Tk6,650. An electric iron cost Tk4,154, while its delivery cost was Tk2,945.

On December 13, the ACC sued a total of 13 individuals for mismanagement of government funds.