The High Court today (October 18, 2022) wanted to know whether the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has taken any action about the reported financial scam of former information and broadcasting secretary Mokbul Hossain, who was sent into retirement on October 16 on “public interest,” around one year before his scheduled retirement.
The court also ordered ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan to get the information from the ACC and to present it before the court by October 27.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu passed the order on a suo motu (voluntary) move following a report published on Bangla daily Kalbela on October 17 under a headline “Ortho Kelenkarite Chakri Haralen Shachib Mokbul (Secretary Mokbul lost job due to financial scam)”.
According to the Kalbela report, Mokbul’s involvement was found in a big financial scam and one of the most powerful persons of the administration, who is also a top sports organiser, has involvement there.
ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that it is apparent from the newspaper report that Mokbul Hossain has been sent into forced retirement as a punishment for his corruption.
The government has sent him into retirement in accordance with the relevant law, he said, adding that the government is not bound to assign any reason for sending him into early retirement under Section 45 of Bangladesh Service Rules 2018.
Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan also said he will inform the HC’s queries to the ACC and will place the information before the HC bench on October 27.
