Ex-jailer of Panchagarh dismissed over Tk1.33cr embezzlement
Probe cites 57 suspected fake bills linked to fictitious firms.
The government has dismissed Md Abdul Fattah, former jailer of Panchagarh District Jail, from service over allegations that he embezzled Tk1.33 crore in public funds through corruption and financial irregularities.
A Home Ministry notification issued today (11 October), signed by Senior Secretary of the Discipline-3 Branch Manzur Morshed Chowdhury on behalf of the President, said the dismissal was imposed as a major disciplinary penalty. Fattah had been placed under temporary suspension.
According to the notification, Fattah served as jailer at Panchagarh District Jail from 17 January 2023 to 28 September 2024.
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A departmental audit covering the 2018–2024 financial years found evidence of government fund misappropriation and other irregularities. Following the findings, the Department of Prisons formed a three-member committee to investigate the allegations on the ground.
The investigation preliminarily found that Fattah had allegedly embezzled Tk1,33,20,000 by approving 57 fake bills through three fictitious contractor firms during the 2023–24 and 2024–25 financial years, the notification said.
It further alleged that Fattah used four separate requisitions in the 2023–24 financial year to obtain excess funds under the food ration budget, despite the jail's low inmate population, and attempted to misappropriate the money.
The notification also accused him of abusing his authority by bypassing the jail superintendent and assigning prison guard Md Jafar Mahmud Shakil, rather than the designated prison assistant, to handle financial correspondence, prepare and record bills, and forward them to the district accounts office.
The government initiated departmental action against Fattah based on the investigation's findings, the notification added.
