ACC raids West Zone Rail Bhaban over Tk4cr procurement irregularities
An audit revealed that the railway spent Tk3.92 crore more than the market price for these items
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) carried out a raid at the West Zone Rail Bhaban in Rajshahi today (8 October) over alleged irregularities in the purchase of railway stones and other materials that reportedly caused a loss of nearly Tk4 crore to the government.
The raid began around 1pm following allegations of inflated expenditure and embezzlement of public funds, ACC sources said.
According to the ACC, during the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the railway authorities in the eastern, western, and central headquarters spent a large amount of money on purchasing railway stones, repair tools, cleaning materials, printers, walkie-talkie batteries, televisions, fabrics, floor mats, and paper.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
An audit later revealed that the railway spent Tk3.92 crore more than the market price for these items.
"The audit objections from 2021 have still not been resolved by the railway authorities. Therefore, the ACC has initiated an investigation into the irregularities in these purchases," said Amir Hossain, assistant director of the ACC's Rajshahi district office.
"We have collected all relevant documents from the Rail Bhaban today. If irregularities are proven, we will recommend filing a formal case," he added.
No senior officials, including the general manager of the West Zone Railway, were present during the raid, and the railway authorities did not make any comment on the matter.
