Shawdesh desk:

An interim government review committee has found proof of embezzlement in 21 projects taken by the Information and Communication Technology Division during the Awami League regime which was ousted on August 5 through a student-led mass uprising.

Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed, former ICT adviser to the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and Junaid Ahmed Palak, former state minister for the ICT, used to share money embezzled in the name of hiring manpower for projects under the division, the committee found.

The committee also sees a scope for saving about Tk 7,000 crore by cutting unnecessary components in these projects taken by the division.

ICT secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury on Tuesday made the statements at a press conference at the office of the ICT Division in the capital Dhaka while disclosing the findings of the committee.

The review committee was formed following an office order issued by the ICT Division on August 28 to review the completed and the under implementation projects taken by the division during the past 15 years of Awami League rule.

The 12-member committee headed by additional secretary for planning and development wing Mahbubur Rahman submitted the investigation report to the interim government, said Shish Haider.

‘Not only the political leadership, but also the bureaucrats in charge at that time are responsible for the corruption in such projects,’ he added.

‘Projects with irregularities will be stopped, and their contracts will be cancelled if needed. Those who are responsible for corruption in the ICT department’s purchases will be identified and punished from the forthcoming January,’ Shish Haider said.

The estimated costs of these projects were Tk 18,600 crore, said ICT Division officials.

The committee identified numerous unnecessary, overpriced and unjustified projects approved by the previous administration.

Review committee head Mahbubur Rahman told New Age that many of the unnecessary projects and components had already been slashed by the division during the investigation period.

‘Many hi-tech parks and IT training centres were built on agricultural land at the district and upazila levels to fulfil the desires of Awami League leaders,’ he said.

‘Many of these projects in different districts and upazilas are not useful to anyone. Several thousand crore taka has already been wasted on these facilities. We see no reason for keeping them,’ Mahbubur said.

He mentioned that a project was taken to make a cinema named ‘Khoka’ with a cost of Tk 16 crore.

‘This is not even the ICT Division’s area of work, numerous projects such as this were taken by the previous administration,’ Mahbubur said.

The review committee in its report recommended several key steps to improve project implementation.

It suggested, among others, removing unnecessary activities, making facilities permanent before project completion, clearly defining the roles of the Bangladesh Computer Council, Hi-Tech Park Authority and ICT Division, and resolving audit issues promptly.