Embezzling Tk 14 Crore: Land officials on 5-day remand

An official, who had vanished after allegedly embezzling Tk 14 crore meant as compensation for land acquisition, was placed on a five-day remand yesterday.

Setaful Islam, the land acquisition officer at Kishoreganj deputy commissioner's office, was arrested in front of Pirojpur Circuit House by a team of Anti-Corruption Commission officials on January 17.

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The previous day, Ram Prasad Mondol, an assistant director at ACC's integrated district office in Mymensingh, had filed an embezzlement case with Kishoreganj Police Station.

The ACC yesterday produced Setaful before a Kishoreganj court with a five-day remand plea which was granted by Chief Judicial Magistrate Abdus Salam Khan.

In December, Setaful went near the Sonali Bank branch in Kishoreganj with sacks and a vehicle to withdraw the huge amount of cash, witnesses told investigators. Once the matter was informed to the authorities and his colleagues, Setaful fled the scene with the money.

Later the cabinet division, in a letter, asked the immigration department to stop Setaful if he tries to flee the country.

Dhaka divisional commissioner's office and Kishoreganj district administration have investigated the case.

Setaful embezzled the money, instead of distributing it as compensation among the people concerned, says the investigation report.

When any land is acquired for implementing government's development projects, the land ministry recommends compensating the land owners. The compensation money is sent to the district administration before it reaches the land owner.