BFIU seeks bank account info of Wasa MD

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) of Bangladesh Bank has sought for the bank account details of Wasa Managing Director Engineer Taqsem Khan and his family members.

The BFIU sent letters to the banks in the country on Wednesday seeking information regarding Taqsem Khan's bank accounts, confirmed a BFIU official on condition of anonymity on Thursday.

Taqsem has been asked to submit the documents within five working days.

Previously on 17 August, the High Court ordered the Wasa authorities to submit a report stating how much money Dhaka Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan had taken in the last 13 years as salary, bonus and other benefits.

The Dhaka Wasa board chairman will have to submit the pay report within the next 60 days, as the defendants – local government secretary, Dhaka Wasa board, Wasa chairman and Wasa managing director – will have to respond to the ruling within four weeks.

Taqsem was first appointed to the post of Wasa MD in 2009. Despite controversies and criticisms, his tenure has been extended six times. At present, he receives Tk6.25 lakh per month as salary and allowances.

There have been allegations of not maintaining policies in extending Taqsem's tenure.

Apart from this, there are many complaints against the Wasa MD including increase in project cost, syndicate in the appointment of contractors, bribery, contractual appointment of favoured people by creating posts, Officer on Special Duty of people he dislikes.

According to an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) report, Wasa projects are not completed on time. The duration and cost of various projects are extended. In many cases the work is not done according to the design and specification of the project. 

He also imposed certain conditions during selection of consultants and contractors for a project so that a certain number of contractors can participate in the competition. 

Apart from this, syndicate system, using political identification and bribery in exchange for work has become a common practice in the selection of contractors. 

According to an ACC report, there is widespread corruption in the installation of privately owned deep tubewells, meter reading and revenue collection.

Tk1,320,417,460 of Dhaka Wasa Employees Multipurpose Cooperative Society was embezzled from six banks with the direct help and instructions of Wasa MD Taqsem A Khan.

This embezzlement was revealed during an audit in 2018-2020.

The other accused in the incident are - WASA Secretary Sharmin Haque Amir, ex-revenue inspector M Mizanur Rahman, Additional Engineer M Akhtaruzzaman, Revenue Inspector AHM Zakir Hossain, Executive Engineer M Badrul Alam, Deputy Secretary Sheikh Enayet Abdullah, deputy Chief Accounts Officer M Salekur Rahman, and ex-deputy manager and Branch Manager of Janata Bank's Karwan Bazar Corporate Branch Shyamal Biswas.