Corruption in purchasing fog lights: Former GM of BIWTC denied anticipatory bail

The High Court (HC) has not granted anticipatory bail to the former general manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Commission (BIWTC), Captain Shawkat Sardar, in a case of misappropriating Tk5.65 crore. Instead, he was required to surrender to the court within two weeks.

The decision came from the High Court bench of Justice Nazrul Islam Talukdar and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman on Tuesday.

Earlier on 5 January, a case was filed against seven officials of BIWTC, including Captain Shawkat, by the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) Integrated District Office in Dhaka, alleging irregularities in the purchase of fog lights for ferries plying the Mawa and Paturia routes.

According to the case statement, in 2015, four officials from BIWTC and the Ministry of Shipping went to the United States to purchase fog lights worth Tk6 crore but they bought 10 fog lights of substandard quality. The accused helped each other embezzle the Tk6 crore showing fake documents, the statement said.

The others accused in the case are Former Chairman and Director of BIWTC, Dr Gyan Ranjan, General Manager Md Nurul Huda, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping, Pankaj Kumar Pal, Former General Manager (Mechanical) of Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC), Engineer Md Rahmat Ullah, Manager of the Mechanical Division of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), Mohammad Nasir Uddin, and owner of Johnny Corporation, Omar Ali.