Driver Sells Three Municipality Vehicles, Installs AC at Home and Buys Land
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
Five government vehicles worth nearly Tk 20 million belonging to Madhabdi Municipality in Narsingdi had gone missing. The vehicles included four dump trucks and the municipality’s only ambulance used for transporting emergency patients. Although a district administration drive recovered two dump trucks and one payloader, two trucks and the ambulance remain untraced. Allegations have emerged that several people, including municipal driver Kamal Hossain, were involved in the incident. He is also accused of withdrawing hundreds of thousands of takas by preparing fake bills and vouchers.
A former municipal driver claimed that Kamal had benefited from his close ties with a mayor who remained in power during the Awami League’s long tenure and later used political connections after the change in government. A few months ago, Kamal allegedly bought land worth about Tk 4 million in his native village of Nurullapur. He also installed an air conditioner at his home and recently spent about Tk 1.5 million to send a relative abroad. However, the former driver could not provide any documents to support these allegations.
A visit to the municipal garage found that only three of the seven dump trucks purchased in 2021 were there. Those vehicles have also remained out of service for a long time. The remaining four trucks could not be located. Similarly, the municipality’s only ambulance was also missing from the garage.
However, a special operation by the district administration recovered two trucks and a payloader from a garage in the Itakhola area of Shibpur upazila. The operation was conducted last Friday at Chattogram Engineering Motor Works Garage.
Monu, the owner of a garage in the Bhagirthapur area, said the municipal ambulance had been brought to his garage after the mass uprising in 2024. Later, municipal driver Kamal Hossain took it away. He was told that the vehicle would be taken to a garage in the Sahepratap area. He said he did not know where it went afterward. Nurul Islam, a mechanic in the Sahepratap area, claimed that no ambulance belonging to Madhabdi Municipality had been brought to his garage for repairs after Aug. 5, 2024.
A clear inconsistency has emerged between the two statements.
The biggest question now is where the municipality’s only ambulance is and who currently controls it.
A municipal employee claimed that the four dump trucks had been sold for use in transporting soil in the Itakhola area of Shibpur upazila. He alleged that municipal driver Kamal Hossain, Mostafa and several others were involved. The ambulance was also later sold in Dhaka, he claimed. However, he did not provide any documents to support the allegations.
Questions have also been raised over financial irregularities, not just the vehicles themselves. In particular, several current and former municipal officials and employees have raised concerns about accounts related to vehicle repairs and fuel expenses.
According to the allegations, Kamal Hossain, known as a close associate of former mayor Mosharraf Hossain Manik, continued to exert influence after the change in government and withdrew hundreds of thousands of takas in the name of vehicle repairs. Other drivers were also allegedly prevented from operating municipal vehicles. A review of several bills and vouchers related to vehicle repairs and fuel expenses obtained by this reporter found that some vouchers did not mention dates. Some documents also failed to specify the registration numbers of the vehicles for which fuel had been purchased. Checks for repairing various vehicles were issued in the name of driver Kamal Hossain.
However, Kamal Hossain denied the allegations.
“After Aug. 5, the vehicles were taken to Monu’s garage. Later, I do not know where they went,” he said.
Regarding the allegations of preparing fake bills and vouchers, he said, “This is completely false.”
He claimed that he had never submitted any such bill to the office in his own name.
Amid the allegations and counterclaims, the administration is now focusing on the investigation. The truth of the allegations will depend on its findings.
Asma Jahan Sarkar, administrator of Madhabdi Municipality and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Narsingdi Sadar, said the entire matter is being investigated. Details will be disclosed after the investigation is completed. She also urged anyone with information or evidence regarding the matter to submit it to the administration.
