Administrator claims NCP's Asif took out Tk15cr, Hasnat Tk10cr from Cumilla Zilla Parishad

Cumilla Zilla Parishad Administrator Mostak Mia has claimed that National Citizen Party (NCP) spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan took Tk15 crore from the Cumilla Zilla Parishad while serving as an adviser to the interim government, while NCP South Region Chief Organiser and Cumilla-4 MP Hasnat Abdullah took Tk10 crore.

"This is the state of coordination. They wanted to establish anti-discrimination politics in Bangladesh, but they did not have that among themselves," Mostak, also BNP's Cumilla divisional organising secretary, made the remarks today (30 May) at a discussion and prayer programme held at the Cumilla Shilpakala Academy marking the 45th martyrdom anniversary of BNP founder and late president Ziaur Rahman.

Speaking as a special guest, Mostak Mia said, "Asif Mahmud took Tk15 crore from my Zilla Parishad's own revenue fund. Hasnat Abdullah took Tk10 crore."

He also said, "Today, the Bangladesh government has been elected by your votes. Our beloved leader Tarique Rahman is now the prime minister and leading this government.

"He is working to restore the economy that had been destroyed. The responsibility of rebuilding the economy that was ruined has fallen on his shoulders, and he is working on that," he added.

Attempts to contact Mostak Mia by phone for further clarification were unsuccessful.

Responding to the allegation, Hasnat Abdullah told Prothom Alo, "What the Zilla Parishad administrator said refers to budget allocations for the upazila. The money was not given to me. Such budgets are not allocated to individuals; they are allocated to the upazila."

Hasnat said records of the allocations made to Debidwar upazila and details of expenditure are available with the district administration.

"They should publish those records," he said.

He added, "If I have to beg anywhere for the people of my upazila, I have no objection to that. Because I am not asking for myself; I am asking for the people."

Hasnat further said the allocation was a special grant from the Local Government Division that was spent through the Zilla Parishad. "Debidwar upazila received Tk5 crore under an ADP project. This has no connection with the Zilla Parishad's revenue fund," he said.

Criticising Mostak Mia's remarks, Hasnat said, "He spoke in a way that made it seem as though we had taken the money into our own pockets. In reality, allocations were made for various development works in Debidwar."

"He said it came from the revenue sector, but it was not a revenue allocation; it was an ADP allocation," Hasnat added.