Azaz claims he left 'prosperous Dhaka North' treasury with Tk1,260cr in accounts; current admin disputes
Former Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) administrator Mohammad Azaz claimed he left Tk1,260.15 crore in 26 bank accounts when handing over on 10 February 2026. However, current administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan said only part of the funds is in the general fund, with the rest tied up in fixed deposits and designated reserves.
In a statement today (5 March), Shafiqul offered an explanation over claims of an empty DNCC treasury, saying salaries and allowances of city corporation officials and employees, as well as payments of contractors' bills, are made from the corporation's general fund.
On 25 February, the day Shafiqul assumed office, the cash balance in DNCC's general fund was Tk25 crore, while fixed deposits stood at Tk642 crore, reserved to meet emergency liabilities.
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The statement follows Azaz's Facebook post earlier, in which he said he was appointed as administrator on a one-year contract. "On the last day of my term [10 February 2026], I handed over my responsibilities. On that day, I left a total of Tk1,260 crore 15 lakh 51 thousand 311.60 in the 26 accounts of Dhaka North City Corporation, leaving behind a prosperous DNCC. I hope the current team will do even better in building a beautiful Dhaka," he wrote.
In response, Shafiqul said he remains committed to not encashing the fixed deposits in order to maintain the corporation's financial security and stability. The media release also noted that at the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year, the cash balance in the general fund was about Tk597 crore.
The administrator added that of the available amount, around Tk13 crore had been reserved for salaries and allowances for the current month. As a result, only about Tk12 crore was effectively available for paying contractors' bills.
Shafiqul further explained that a large portion of the total funds mentioned by the former administrator is kept as fixed deposits under various designated funds—such as security deposit funds, pension funds, education funds, and the GPF (General Provident Fund). These funds, he said, are reserved for specific purposes and are not used for salaries, allowances, or contractors' payments.
The DNCC administrator stressed that it is important to present accurate information about the corporation's financial position to the public, and that this explanation was provided to clarify the matter.
