LGD brings back engineer accused of corruption to DSCC within 15 days

A Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) engineer, who was transferred to the Bogura City Corporation on charges of corruption, was brought back to his old workplace within 15 days – the time period set for an investigation committee to submit a report regarding the allegations against him.

On 30 June, the Local Government Division (LGD) transferred DSCC Superintending Engineer Anisur Rahman to the newly formed Bogura City Corporation.

On that day, another office order was issued forming an investigation committee against the engineer, which stated that Anisur Rahman had long been accused of irregularities in various projects, corruption, abuse of power, embezzlement of government funds, tender manipulation, acquisition of illegal wealth, and money laundering.

The investigation officer was instructed to conduct an on-site inquiry into the allegations and submit a report to the Secretary of the Local Government Division within 15 working days. The officer was also directed to review all relevant documents as part of the investigation. But another office order from the LGD, issued on 14 July, said that he was transferred to DSCC from Bogura City Corporation for “administrative reasons”. He, however, was attached to the office of the chief executive officer.

LGD joint secretary Rabiul Islam, who signed the transfer order, told the Daily Sun, “The order was issued at the behest of the secretary. You ask the secretary. I have no permission to talk to you regarding the matter.”

DSCC sources said that Anisur Rahman was transferred to Bogura over a tender dispute with a vested group.

On 13 July, the tender titled “Installation and Commissioning of 15 Nos Rides (1) Disk'O Mega 40, (2) Super Air Race, (3) Tea Cup 9, (4) Flying Carrousels, (5) Endeavour, (6) Galleon, (7) 12D Theater, (8) Mine Coaster, (9) Climbing Car, (10) Bumper Car, (11) Magic Bikes, (12) Trampoline Bed, (13) Super Happy Swing, (14) Merry Go Round, (15) Water Mania” was cancelled.

The tender was called on 21 May and opened on 25 June, and Anisur was transferred on 30 June.

Besides, Anisur Rahman was removed from the post of project director.

When asked, DSCC Administrator Abdus Salam said, “Why he was brought back, I don’t know. I did not bring back anyone. You had better ask the ministry that transferred him. He was indeed removed from the post of project director after his return to DSCC.”

Like Anisur Rahman, his colleague Borhan Uddin was also transferred to Sylhet City Corporation on 20 August 2025, but within days he was transferred back to the DSCC.

Again, on 15 July 2026, he was transferred to Barishal City Corporation.

On 27 July 2025, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Executive Engineer Kamrul Hasan was transferred to the Barishal City Corporation, but he returned within days.

Section 68 of the City Corporation Act 2009 empowers the LGD to transfer employees “in the interest of necessary duty and administrative necessity,” but there is still no clear guideline to determine who should be transferred, why, or under what terms.

Wishing anonymity, a DNCC official said, “There is no policy on who should be transferred and who should not be. The LGD very often transfers officials – especially those who have money – using a pick-and-choose method. Those people return to their previous posts within days by managing the ministry people.”

He also said, “We have no idea how this happens. This kind of transfer creates many problems for the city corporation officials as the posts and grades of all city corporations are not the same. Besides, one faces difficulty during the final settlement of service benefits.”

Talking to the Daily Sun, public administration expert and former additional secretary Firoz Mia said, “Transferring officials without a clear-cut guideline creates suffering for the city corporations and the official himself. 

The process for picking officials for transfer is also unclear.   So, the government must have a policy to make the transfer a transparent process so that none can benefit illegally and become a victim of it.”