ACC files case against UPEO Kamaruzzaman
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against an education officer with Gouranadi police station in Barisal district for misappropriating Tk 96.90 thousand that was realised in addition to the officially fixed fees from the primary terminal examination candidates.
The accused, Md Kamaruzzaman, former upazila primary education
officer (UPEO) of Gouranadi, is now working as UPEO of Taherpur in Sunamjganj district.
Kazi Nazrul Islam, deputy director of ACC Barisal office, lodged the case on Wednesday night, said Nurul Islam, officer in charge of Gouranadi police station.
Md Kamaruzzaman, the then UPEO of Gouranadi, forced the authorities of 132 primary and community schools to pay Tk 60 as examination fees instead of government-fixed fee of Tk 30 for each of primary terminal examinees in the upazila in 2009 academic session, goes the prosecution.
As the money was collected from 3,230 examinees, the accused UPEO misappropriated a total of Tk 96 thousand and 900, it adds.
Following mass agitations from the guardians and teachers, a meeting was held at Gouranadi Government Model Primary School on January 14 this year where UPEO Kamaruzzaman admitted the allegation and refunded a good amount of money that was collected as additional examination fees and the matter was reported by locals newspapers.
Presided over by Gouranadi upazila Chairman Shah Alam Khan, the meeting was attended by MA Faruk, deputy director and divisional primary education officer, Syed Mahbub Khan, the then upazila nirbahi officer, other officials and over a hundred headmasters of primary schools.
At the meeting, the teachers also raised 11-point allegations of irregularities,
harassment, corruption and misbehaviour against UPEO Kamaruzzaman and demanded his immediate removal.
However no departmental action was taken against him for that corruption.
After receiving the allegation, the ACC investigated it and lodged the
corruption case with Gouranadi police station on Wednesday night, said the ACC official who lodged the case.
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