Photo : Collected
Abdullah Al Mamun, director of the Dhaka divisional passport office, is unstoppable. The senior government official is so arrogant that he declares in front of the passport directorate’s Director General that he will not obey any of his orders, threatening to file a case against the Additional Director General. Not only his office, but even the officers of the head office are afraid of him.
A case against this official is ongoing in the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on the charge of acquiring huge amounts of illegal wealth. At least 15 types of serious complaints have been confirmed in the investigation. Two investigations are still going on, one of which is that former IGP Benazir Ahmed was the person who he assisted in making passports through fraud. In view of this, the ACC also interrogated him.
Meanwhile, in a report of the intelligence agency, a report has also been given to the ministry highlighting the information of the entire syndicate about how bribes are taken from ordinary people and through whom it is done. It is said that Abdullah Al Mamun transacted bribe money through his office employees, 23 brokers and an SI of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station.
The passport directorate considers Abdullah Al Mamun's ongoing misconduct, misbehaviour, and corruption allegations to be a threat to the operation of the directorate. It is also believed that the image of the government is being tarnished by his activities. In order to ensure accountability regarding the code of conduct including arbitrariness, irregularity, corruption and misconduct as a result of working in an important position of the state, and in order to bring back a healthy working environment of the department, it is necessary to take strict action against him, including a departmental case. At the same time, since he has been working in the same office for six consecutive years in two phases, he has been mentioned in the application about transferring him out of Dhaka on an urgent basis.
Recently, the directorate of passports has applied to the Ministry of Home Affairs for taking administrative action against Abdullah Al Mamun, highlighting his offences. Director General of the Directorate Major General Nurul Anwar has signed this application. Sources from the passport directorate have confirmed this information.
Among the allegations mentioned against Abdullah Al Mamun in the application made to the Ministry of Home Affairs is that the quarterly meeting of the directorate was being held on January 27. Additional Director General was addressing the meeting. At this time, he broke all the rules and began shouting loudly with the loudspeaker. He criticized the Director General's directive on requiring intelligence reports on multiple active passports. At one, point he said, “We do not accept any order of the director. We follow the orders of the ministry.” A show cause notice was also issued by the Directorate in view of his insolent statement. But the directorate was not satisfied with his statement and formed an investigation committee. Currently, the investigation is ongoing on this matter.
The Assistant Director of the Divisional Passport Office Zebunnahar was transferred from the Directorate to Tangail, but he blocked this without issuing the permit. After long 10 months, she was later released from there and joined Tangail with the direct intervention of the Director General. He was also given a show cause notice in this regard. On February 29, he posted a provocative message on the department's WhatsApp group. A show cause notice was issued to him stating that the post was unethical as a government official. On January 25, the Anti-Corruption Commission conducted an operation at the Dhaka Divisional Passport Office. Although there is a rule to inform the Director General about such sensitive matters, he keeps the whole matter secret. Later, when the news of the operation was published in the media, the Director General came to know about the matter. He was also given a show cause notice in this regard.
The application states that on June 25 last year, Abdullah Al Mamun entered the room of Additional Director General Selina Banu with an MRP customer without a valid work permit card. At that time, he started misbehaving with her. At one point, the applicant was asked to go to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station and file a case. Abdullah Al Mamun's behavior forced Additional Director General Selina Banu to leave her office.
The investigation committee formed into his misconduct found the truth of his behavior. In this regard, the ministry was recommended to take action against him. Allegations of gross irregularities in the submission and distribution of MRP passport applications were made against him. Later, when they were investigated, he was found guilty.
There are allegations against him of acquiring huge wealth through various irregularities in the passport directorate. ACC filed a case against him after a long search for not being able to provide any information about his assets of Tk 3 crore 65 lakhs. Also, he has been absent from the workplace several times without informing the Director General. He even traveled abroad.
Meanwhile, according to a report of the intelligence agency, Abdullah Al Mamun formed a syndicate and collected money from ordinary people through illegal means to deliver passports. Members of his syndicate include PO Mazhar, Office Assistant Nazmul, Computer Operator Rajan, Ansar Sohail, Nazmul. Assistant director Halima Khatun is also a member of his syndicate. The report also mentions the names and mobile numbers of at least 23 brokers. Jiban Shikder, his brother Mahbub Shikder and Sohag are the masterminds of the syndicate. In addition, ASI Yunus Kabir of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station had a secret relationship with this broker syndicate and Abdullah Al Mamun transacted all the bribe money through him, which is mentioned in the report.
Messenger/Fameema
