'Blatant lies': Nahid's ex-PA Atik addresses allegations of misappropriating Tk150cr from Nagad

Atik Morshed, who was the personal assistant of National Citizen Party (NCP) chief Nahid Islam during his tenure as the posts, telecommunications, and information technology adviser, has addressed allegations that he misappropriated Tk150 crore from the mobile financial service provider Nagad.

In response to reports published in several news outlets, Atik, who is currently serving as personal officer to CA's Special Assistant Faiz Ahmad Tayeb at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, posted a statement on his Facebook profile this evening (30 May), clarifying his position on the issue. 

"There are allegations that I siphoned off Tk150 crore from Nagad. After the allegation surfaced, through the Postal Department, I sought Nagad's detailed financial reports, including operational costs and bills, for two months. We found that approximately Tk43 crore had been withdrawn in total — which includes operational expenses, salaries, rents, and vendor payments," he wrote.

He urged the media outlet Manabzamin to provide proof to support their accusations and specify the categories under which the alleged misappropriation took place.

Atik also wrote, "Not only a single organisation, the new CEO has already been instructed by the ministry to conduct a tripartite forensic audit. It is worth noting that except for the period from 11 to 27 May, Nagad was managed under Bangladesh Bank."

He also addressed a claim made in Manabzamin's report that he regularly operated from Nagad's office and sat in the CEO's chair. 

"This is a blatant lie. I have only visited Nagad twice — on 18 May and 20 May — for official purposes, accompanied by officials from the Postal Department. CCTV footage can easily confirm this," Atik said.

According to him, the meetings were focused on stabilising Nagad's operations and ensuring continuity. "I was present in my capacity as a ministry official," he added.

Another allegation suggested that Atik arranged a position at Nagad for his wife. He responded, "My wife applied to Nagad based on her own merit and qualifications. The company assessed her past experience and abilities before hiring her on a conditional temporary basis."

He admitted that while this could be perceived as a conflict of interest, his wife's recruitment was based on her own credentials.

Earlier, media reports claimed that Atik misappropriated Tk150 crore from Nagad.

Allegations were also raised that Atik and Nagad Deputy CEO Md Muiz Tasnim Taqui were jointly managing Nagad's operations, with Atik using a regular office space on the sixth floor of Nagad's headquarters, even though he holds no formal role in the organisation.

In addition, Atik was also accused of appointing his wife and close relatives to key positions within Nagad. 

Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, Gono Odhikar Parishad General Secretary Rashed Khan questioned whether Atik was acting on the instructions of former adviser Nahid, pointing out the lack of any action or investigation during Nahid's tenure.

He alleged that despite several serious allegations against Atik Morshed, no action was taken, nor was any probe committee formed by the ministry while Nahid, who also oversaw the information and broadcasting ministry, was in office.

"This raises a fundamental question — was Nahid Islam aware or even complicit in these activities? If not, why was he silent then, and why does he remain silent now?" Rashed wrote.