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Mounting allegations of rampant corruption against the managing director (MD) of state-owned Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited are posing a significant threat to the natural gas distributor, leading to gradual financial losses. In a surprising turn of events, the company, which had previously never experienced a loss in its 58-year history, incurred losses for the first time in the last fiscal year, attributable to the failures of the current MD.
Haronur Rashid Mullah, the managing director of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company, faces numerous allegations of misappropriating crores of taka through irregularities and corruption, including theft of gas under the guise of system loss, illegal acquisition of dividends, and accepting bribes in exchange for load increases.
Despite instructions from the Prime Minister's office to investigate the allegations against him, Haronur Rashid Mullah remains in his position under active supervision, displaying a remarkable degree of recklessness driven by power and greed. Although several government departments formed enquiry committees against him six months ago, no action has been taken thus far.
According to several officials from the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, who preferred to remain anonymous, initial evidence of several allegations against Haronur Rashid Mullah has been found. However, he appears to be attempting to cover up these allegations by exerting influence over higher echelons of the government and manipulating the investigation committee.
Reports indicate that system losses have escalated since Haronur Rashid Mullah assumed the role of MD at Titas Gas. Whereas the system loss was previously estimated at 5-6 percent, it has now risen to 8-9 percent. However, concerned parties suggest that the actual system loss may be as high as 12-13 percent.
This marks the first financial loss in Titas Gas's 58-year history under the leadership of Haronur Rashid Mullah. The company's accumulated dues, which stood at Tk 6,000 crore before his tenure, have now surpassed Tk 9,000 crore. Allegations suggest that he has failed to take action despite a verdict calling for the recovery of over Tk 1,000 crore owed by two private power plants. Additionally, while manpower is supposed to be provided through an outsourcing organization, the MD is personally managing manpower allocation.
Meanwhile, the company's transport pool's Jeep (No-15-8776) has been reserved and is being used by the family members of the current MD under the guise of VIP protocol. According to the Companies Act, all employees except the managing director are entitled to a profit bonus equal to 5 percent. However, the current MD regularly receives dividend payments, which he does not accept in his personal account but instead receives in cash via cheques issued in the name of senior officers of the company.
Currently, over three hundred companies' applications for gas connections remain pending, while connections are selectively granted in exchange for significant sums. There is widespread discussion in all circles regarding the MD's alleged special relationship with contractor Jisan Patwari of Ali Enterprises.
Previously, a written complaint, marked 'very secret and very urgent,' was submitted to 23 individuals, including State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid. The complaint detailed 26 instances of corruption allegedly committed by the Titas MD. According to the allegations, Haronur Rashid Mullah directly engaged in corruption amounting to Tk 390 crore, along with an additional Tk 300 crore through various channels.
It has been reported that investigations are ongoing regarding these allegations. Concerned sources have indicated that the Titas MD has been involved in numerous irregularities and acts of corruption over the past two years. However, no action has been taken against him thus far due to the intervention of senior ministry officials. The situation escalated in September last year when controversy arose regarding the allocation of gas connections under the Prime Minister's name.
When asked about the allegations of corruptions and irregularities against him, Titas MD Haronur Rashid Mullah told The Daily Messenger, “All allegations against me are baseless. There is a concerted effort to discredit me and remove me from my position. Certain groups are spreading false propaganda against me. There is absolutely no truth to tarnishing the Prime Minister's image. Some disgruntled individuals are unhappy about the disciplinary actions taken against dishonest Titas employees and are fabricating stories.”
It's important to note that due to a gas crisis, residential gas connections have been halted nationwide since 2010. Meanwhile, industrial gas connections are being issued on a restricted basis, subject to thorough scrutiny and considerations. Numerous pending applications for gas connections from industries have been accumulating over time.
In 2021, Haronur Rashid Mullah was initially appointed as the managing director of Titas for a one-year term. Subsequently, his tenure was extended for another year in the following round of appointments. Later, his term was extended by an additional year.
Messenger/Disha
