Shawdesh Desk:

A Rajshahi court on Monday sent a former food official to jail in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission on charge of irregularities and corruption in buying wheat from millers in defiance of government instructions in 2020.

Judge Begum Mosammat Ismat Ara of the Rajshahi Divisional Special Judge Court sent Md Azharul Islam, former upazila food controller at Nachol upazila in Chapainawabganj, after rejecting his bail plea, said ACC lawyer Md Bazle Towhid Al Hasan Babla.

He said that Azharul Islam, who had been on the run for a long time, surrendered to the court on Monday and sought bail.

‘The court, however, rejected the food official’s bail plea and sent him to jail for not appearing before the court on several dates and for having specific allegations against him,’ ACC lawyer added.

Earlier, Al-Amin, assistant director of ACC Rajshahi district integrated office, filed the case against seven food officials and employees, including Azharul Islam, on June 10, 2020, for buying wheat from millers instead of farmers in defiance of government instructions.

The ACC lawyer said that the accused food officials made a corruption of Tk 1.58 crore in the name of buying wheat.