Hajj management scam
Documents go missing from ministry
ANISUR RAHMAN KHAN
A file and documents involving corruption charges brought against some religious affairs ministry officials, allegedly involved in embezzling government funds, have reportedly gone missing from the ministry. The funds embezzled include loans granted to be deposited as moallem (guide) fees for Hajj pilgrims. According to sources in the ministry, fingers are being pointed at former religious affairs secretary and currently social welfare secretary Chowdhury Babul Hassan, accusing him of hiding the file and documents. Three ministry officials involved in Hajj managementthe former secretarys personal secretary (PS) Abdul Khaleq, personal officer Imamul Haque and Md Absarblamed Hasan in their written answer to the acting secretary, submitted last Thursday.
Following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas request, Saudi Arabia allowed 5,000 extra pilgrims to go to perform Hajj last year, along with the 101,758 pilgrims officially allowed to go from Bangladesh under its official quota the previous year. Although the moallem fees were deposited after registration, around 30,000 people did not get visas.
However, immediately after allowing the 5,000 new pilgrims to deposit the moallem fees with the Saudi Hajj authority, the religious affairs ministry granted a loan of Tk. 33 crore to the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB). Hassan, in connivance with some HAAB leaders, allegedly sent the newly registered pilgrims on Hajj, instead of those already included in the quota. We have sent a report to the department concerned for taking action in this regard, said acting secretary of the religious affairs ministry, Md Abdul Jalil, yesterday. He added that show-cause notices were served on the officials concerned and sent to the ministrys
Hajj management and the secretarys office to explain why the files regarding the management of the 5,000 additional Hajj pilgrims have gone missing.
Jalil said, Three officials of the ministry have already submitted their replies. Necessary action will be taken after examining their answers. No culprit will be spared. The ministrys former deputy secretary (Hajj), Nasir Uddin Ahmed, who was also involved in the process, was not served any show-cause notice.
The ministry allegedly took Tk 2.5 lakh as Hajj fees against a minimum Hajj package of Tk 2.96 lakh announced by the government last year. Former HAAB president Jamal Uddin Ahmed complained to the ministry that though Tk 2.5 lakh was taken from the pilgrims, the ministry and HAAB spent around Tk 1.75 lakh on each pilgrim. Ahmed, a member of the committee that scrutinised the 5,000 additional pilgrims, claimed that of the rest of the amount Tk 34,700, was returned to each of the pilgrims. The rest, adding up to Tk. 17.35 crore, is still in the HAAB account. Besides, HAAB leaders have given back Tk. 16 crore against the Tk. 33-crore loan taken from the government. The remaining amount of Tk. 17 crore is yet to be given back, though the money was deposited in the HAAB account before last Hajj. According to sources, HAAB leadersin connivance with Hassanare trying to embezzle the fund of Tk. 34.35 crore (Tk. 17.35 crore plus Tk. 17 crore), without distributing the amount among the Hajj agencies or refunding the government respectively. That is why the former secretary hid the file, Ahmed alleged to this correspondent. Hassan refused to comment on the charges.
