How was crores of taka’s fuel spent when Nagar Bhaban closed

Cars did not run; but fuel was spent—fuel worth crores of taka. Such an affair could be considered ghostly; but surely no invisible force was driving the Nagar Bhaban cars in the capital. They were driven by the officials of the institution. But the question is, why were they driving during the 40 days it was closed?

According to news published last Thursday (4 September), Nagar Bhaban’s operations were suspended for 40 days due to agitation demanding that BNP leader Ishraque Hossain be handed over mayoral duties. Many officials of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) did not attend office even a single day during that period. Yet, against the vehicles allocated to them, 14–15 litres of fuel were shown as consumed daily.

Even within South City, questions are being raised: if the office was closed, where did this fuel go? According to DSCC accounts, the corporation spends about BDT 5 crore every month on fuel. An analysis of expenses for April, May and June shows that although Nagar Bhaban remained closed for 40 days during May and June, fuel consumption was the same as in normal times. Yet during that period, there was virtually no office activity.

Conversations with drivers revealed that during closure they did not bring officials to the office. They may have gone here and there if required. Yet the corporation’s transport department claims that each vehicle runs an average of 8 kilometres per litre of fuel. By that calculation, 15 litres of fuel means 120 kilometres of travel recorded daily. The question is, if Nagar Bhaban was closed, where did this daily 120-kilometre journey take place?

Three officials from the corporation’s engineering department said they did not come to Nagar Bhaban at all during that period. Some of them have been irregular at the office since 5 August last year, due to involvement with Awami League politics. The question becomes stronger when it is found that Chief Social Welfare and Slum Development Officer Mohammad Mobashwer Hasan collected 14 litres daily—560 litres in total—costing the corporation BDT 57,120. He claimed that though Nagar Bhaban was closed, he worked from Dhaka WASA Bhaban, the Secretariat, and the Employees’ Hospital, hence the fuel. But insiders at the corporation said that during the agitation there was no infrastructure in place to run regular offices outside. Only a few urgent meetings were held at the Secretariat and WASA Bhaban.

The entire analysis suggests that there is indeed a ghost in the mustard. A proper investigation must be carried out into where this fuel was actually spent. Those involved in the manipulation must be identified and brought under trial. Such misuse of public funds is in no way excusable. Therefore, those implicated in this collusive, illegal, unethical and fraudulent misappropriation of public money must face exemplary accountability.