‘Asif Took 15 Crore, Hasnat 10 Crore’

Cumilla District Council Administrator and BNP Cumilla division joint organizing secretary Md Mostak Mia has alleged that NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojibb Bhuiyan received Tk 15 crore and NCP southern region chief organizer and Cumilla-4 MP Hasnat Abdullah received Tk 10 crore during Asif’s tenure as an adviser in the interim government.

He made the claim on Saturday while speaking as a special guest at a discussion and prayer program held at the Cumilla Shilpakala Academy marking the 45th death anniversary of BNP founder and late president Ziaur Rahman.

At the event, Mostak Mia said, “From the District Council, Asif Mahmud took Tk 15 crore for Muradnagar upazila and Hasnat Abdullah took Tk 10 crore for Debidwar upazila. This is the condition of the coordinators. They spoke about anti-discrimination politics in Bangladesh, but their actions do not reflect that.”

He further said, “I am not saying they used this money for personal purposes. But if large allocations are taken for two upazilas, people in other upazilas face discrimination. Those who speak of anti-discrimination movements themselves create discrimination through their actions, which raises questions.”

In response, Hasnat Abdullah said the money was not given to any individual but allocated for upazilas. He said a list of the sectors and purposes for which funds were allocated in Debidwar upazila is available with the district administration. He added that the upazila administration also maintains records of how much money was spent in each sector and that the information can be made public if required.

He further said the District Council Administrator presented the issue in a way that suggested the funds were taken for personal use. In reality, he said, the money was allocated for various development projects in Debidwar. He added that the allocation was not from the revenue budget but from the Annual Development Program (ADP).