Suranjit bribery scandal: Suspicion spreads upward
Faruque Ahmed
Railway Minister Suranjit Sengupta resigned last week from the cabinet only to become a minister without portfolio again in 24 hours of time. It looked like a high stake political gambling and observers here believe that it might have been possible for Suranjits powerful lobbies in different quarters at home and abroad.
He resigned Monday last on advice of the Prime Minister on the alleged ground of his involvement in a bribery scandal. It came as a big humiliation to Suranjit having a 55 year eventful political career at the back.
He looked fragile and diminished when he made the announcement of the resignation at the Railway Bhavan in the city. But to the utter disbelief of the nation the Prime minister took him back to the cabinet. Even it happened to the disbelief of the fallen minister as he jumped back to smile again combative.
This melodrama started when Suranjit was visibly identified in a reported bribery scandal which unfolded at the Peelkana BGB gate in the city on April 9 midnight. Railway Ministers APS Omar Faruque, GM Yusul Ali Mridha and the Ministerys security commandant Enamul Haque were caught with a cash of Tk 70 lakhs at the spot when driver Ali Azam of the car in which they were traveling suddenly drove it inside the BGB headquarters and asked the on-duty army personnel to search it. He said the Railway personnel were carrying huge illegal money.
The money was immediately discovered from the cars bonnet. On questioning, they said they were going to the Railway Ministers home to hand over the cash.
Electronic and print media got the information instantly as the event was unfolding and some TV channel put the images in the air immediately. Online news agencies also carried it to global network that night. Suranjit was overpowered by the rash of the events and media reports.
He dipped into a sea-size corruption scandal in the Railway, besides other corruption allegations covering his sons newly acquitted telecom license and public land grabbing at his home constituency.
The reported bribery scandal as the first such incidence highlighting a ministers involvement in rent seeking, bribery and job selling touched the conscience of the nation. He became the talk of the table in the next few days throughout the country when public outcry demanded probes into his role in the scam, besides that of his sons newly acquired assets and business.
Suranjit went out of media contact in the next two days as he kept waiting for the Prime Ministers to return home from her Turkey visit. On return she summoned him at the Gonobhavan on the night of Pahela Baisak after consulting the president, senior ministers and advisers and advised him to resign. The minister however dismissed such claims, no direct or indirect link he said, even when he resigned from the cabinet.
His resignation however became morally incumbent, besides facilitating a free and fair investigation into the financial involvement of the minister, his son and the family as news reports disclosed unusual deposits and transactions in his and the familys bank accounts.
Suranjit claimed he was victim of a conspiracy to undo his rejuvenation programme of the countrys railways. On political pressure BGB also released all three railway personnel with the cash next day as police also did not come forward to take a case and take custody of the cash.
Suranjit tried to defend the APS initially saying the money belonged to him. But as pressure started mounting, he sacked him and put the two other railway officials on temporary suspension. He also set up two hand picked probe committees to investigate into the incidence. He kept on saying if these committees find his involvement in the scandal, he would resign.
These committees were just eyewash measures. The first committee was headed by his PS to investigate into the charges against his APS. The second committee was formed to probe into GM Mridha and Commandant Enamul Haque with a railway joint secretary whose corruption scandal topped headlines of local newspapers when he was Deputy Commissioner of Madaripur last year.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) also opened investigations into the railway men role in the scandal at a time allegations also galore to the fact that GM Mridha and his agents had collected crores of taka from job aspirants in the Railway.
Railway Sramik League leaders came out at a press conference at Chittagong Press Club immediately after the unfolding of the scandal to disclose that GM Mridha and his agents have collected at least Tk 10 crore from job aspirants. Moreover, in taking the money they have clearly said they have to give the money to the minister at the top to clear their names on the list of recruitment.
There are also allegations about the source of funding of a telecom firm that Suranjits son is going to set up on obtaining an operating license from the regulatory body only two weeks ago.
He deposited Tk 5 crore for the purpose. Moreover the setting up of the business would require at least Tk 40 crore and where the money is coming from.
Suranjit has grabbed Waqf land along with other land in his home constituency. He has opened the Sengupta Trade Center at the local town only few days ago and the land on which the market has been set up is also reportedly based on false deeds.
People were demanding his resignation. It is important, critics say to allow a free investigation by a judicial body, in addition to ACC and such other committees. But his return to the cabinet will impede these investigations, they say. Moreover, the ACC cant investigate into a Minister if the President does not give permission. On his return to the cabinet such prospects of probing into his or his sons assets and source of income appear distant
Meanwhile, the departmental investigations committees have started working. Omar Faruque told the committee that the money belonged to him. Others said they were not aware of the money in the car, or have not seen it at all.
They told the same story to the ACC last week. The probe committees said nobody has spoken so far on the Ministers involvement and so no investigation has been ordered against him.
Reports said BGB has not only released the three railway men next day, they have also released the money and APS Omar Faruque has already deposited the money to his banks.
He may face the revenue authorities (NBR) charge now for holding unaccounted money, but as far as the bribery scandal is concerned, it may remain untraced as things are now developing. There is no police case and no eye-witness either. BGB remained tight lipped.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the lone witness driver Ali Azam also remains shrouded with mystery. He may be in the custody of the intelligence agencies or elsewhere. It is not clear if the BGB has passed him to any third party custody. He is the only witness to the scam and he is also required to explain why he handed over his bosses to the BGB check posts.
It also remains a mystery why the probe committees are not asking the BGB to produce driver Ali Azam before them. Why Railway is not clearing the whereabouts of its driver at a time the accused are about to be set free from charges in absence of a witness.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina may have planned the whole thing this way. She asked Suranjit to resign as an eye wash to calm public outcry. His return to the cabinet may be justified now in absence of any proof that a bribery or his involvement to such things has at all taken place.
But the question remains whether the people will exonerate him or treat the entire cabinet now with more suspect. The opposition has therefore asked the Prime Minister to seek an apology to the nation.
Holiday
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You have to retake the course then. But Bro its not wise to utter the truth
