8 RHD officials sent to jail

Dhaka, Jan 11 (bdprem.com) – A Dhaka court Friday sent eight officials including seven engineers of the Roads and Highways Department to jail The eight were arrested while they were allegedly sharing out money received in bribes. Joint forces arrested them at a fast food shop on Satmasjid Road at 11pm Wednesday with Tk 13.99 lakh in their possession, said Dhanmondi police. They were handed over to Dhanmondi Police Station Thursday. Police said during interrogation the arrestees admitted to taking bribes from an individual in exchange for allowing him to collect tolls at different bridges. Mehboob Kabir, director of private firm Asian Traffic Technologist Ltd, filed a case with Dhanmondi police Thursday accusing the detainees of demanding bribes through intimidation. The firm leases the right to collect tolls at different bridges. The officials were presented before the court of Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Shahinuddin. Investigating officer of the case, Dhanmondi police sub-inspector Md Gias Uddin did not appeal to take them on remand and the court ordered the eight into to jail. The magistrate ordered jail authorities to give them division as per the Jail Code after defence lawyer Syed Rezaur Rahman appealed for division. The arrestees are additional chief engineer for Dhaka Mozammel Haque, additional chief engineer (block management) Mominul Haque, additional chief engineer for Comilla Rafiqul Islam, additional chief engineer (Jamuna Bridge) Abdullahel Kafi, executive engineer Ali Masud Haider, superintendent engineers AHM Mainul Islam Chowdhury and Tapas Kumar and project coordinator Mamtazuddin. In the four-page report submitted to the court, investigating officer Gias Uddin said the accused persons, threatening to cancel the licence for collecting tolls, demanded Tk 14 lakh in bribes from the complainant. They also threatened to submit a confidential report accusing him of irregularities in toll collection and corruption.