Rice stocked illegally

A departmental probe body yesterday said there was 63.1 tonnes of excess rice in Chittagong silos, a day after the regional controller of food claimed the stock was intact.

The additional rice was found at silo no-50 of the central storage depot (CSD) in Halishahar, said Jahirul Islam, Chittagong controller of food and also the chief of a three-member probe committee.

He said the silo should have been empty as per the ledger.

“As there are no valid documents for the 63.1 tonnes of rice, it is evident the rice was stocked in the depot illegally.”

The probe body was formed after the Rapid Action Battalion-7 had seized eight trucks loaded with 168.5 tonnes of rice from different areas in the port city from Monday evening through Wednesday. The rice was allegedly being smuggled out of the CSD. Law enforcers picked up CSD Manager Pranayan Chakma and four truckers during the drives.

Jahirul said the Directorate General of Food suspended the manager on Wednesday.

The committee's findings revealed that rice was stocked in public granaries illegally. The probe committee submitted the probe report to Mahbubur Rahman, Chittagong regional controller of food, on Wednesday night.

Mahbubur earlier that day had told journalists that they found 2,104 tonnes of rice and 2,799 tonnes of wheat in all 126 government granaries in Chittagong which matched their ledger. He had expressed doubt whether the seized rice was from the Halishahar CSD. 

Talking to The Daily Star over the phone last night, he said he had primary information from officials that the rice stock was intact. But later he received the probe report saying that there was 63.1 tonnes of excess rice.

The official left Chittagong for Dhaka yesterday for a meeting at the Directorate General of Food.

ANOTHER CASE FILED

The Rab-7 yesterday filed a case with Akbar Shah Police Station, against seven people, including the CSD manager, assistant manager and four unnamed people, in connection with the seizure of rice, said Alamgir Mahmud, officer-in-charge of the police station.

On Wednesday, the Rab filed the first case with Halishahar Police Station under the Special Powers Act, 1974, against eight people.

A Chittagong court on the same day sent the CSD manager and four truckers to jail after police had produced them before it.

Jahirul, head of the probe committee, said they asked the depot in-charge about the seized rice. The official replied he just carried out the manager's orders.

No rice can be stored in a CSD without permission from its manager, he said, adding that the probe body recommended taking necessary action against those responsible in this regard.

The Directorate General of Food on Wednesday formed another three-member probe body, led by Additional Director Parimal Chandra Roy, to further probe into the rice seizure, said officials.

According to Mahbubur, the committee will visit Chittagong next week.

MANY MORE INVOLVED?

Rab-7 Commanding Officer Lt Col Miftah Uddin Ahmed said they suspected many other influential people might have been involved in stocking food in government silos.

Merely the CSD manager and some traders couldn't have done this, he added.

Rab officials said CSD Manager Pranayan during primary interrogation gave them the names of traders Sahabuddin Sawdagor, owner of Khwaza Bhandar Rice Dealer in the city's Pahartoli, and Nuru Sawdagor, proprietor of Kashem Flour Mills in Chaktai, who were allegedly involved in stocking rice in government silos.

Visiting the Pahartoli Bazar yesterday, The Daily Star found that renovation work was underway at Khwaza Bhandar Rice Dealer.

Despite repeated attempts, this newspaper could not reach Sahabuddin for comments as his phone was switched off.

SM Nizamuddin, president of Pahartoli Bazar Rice Merchant Association, claimed Shahabuddin was innocent.

“I know him very well. I don't think he was involved in stocking rice illegally,” he said.

Shamim Enterprise, the office of Nuru Sawdagor in Illias Market of Khatunganj, was found closed.

Mahfuzur Rahman, OC of Halishahar Police Station, said they field 7-day remand prayers for each of the five arrestees with a Chittagong court yesterday. The court will hear the petitions later.