United News of Bangladesh

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) found evidence that former State Minister for Rural Development and Cooperatives and Jatiya Party Presidium Member and former Secretary General Moshiur Rahman Rangha received bribes worth Tk 1.7 crore in exchange for facilitating the payers' participation in the 11th Jatiya Sangsad election, held in 2018. Based on the findings, the ACC has decided to file a case against Ranga and former Kurigram-2 MP Panir Uddin Ahmed, who allegedly paid the bribe to secure the opportunity to contest the election. The decision to file the case was taken on Monday (January 19) at the ACC headquarters, ACC Director General Md Akhtar Hossain said. Read More: JP distributes nomination forms for 6 constituencies in Dinajpur According to the inquiry report, despite having no business relationship, Ranga allegedly accepted the amount as a bribe from Panir Uddin Ahmed by creating an opportunity for him to take part in the 12th parliamentary election. The investigation further revealed that Panir Uddin Ahmed is the proprietor of Jalil Biri Factory and Haque Special (transport business). On October 30, 2018, Tk 20 lakh was transferred from Panir Uddin Ahmed’s account under the name of Haque Special at Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited’s Kurigram branch to Ranga’s account at the bank’s Rangpur branch. In addition, in November 2018, Panir Uddin Ahmed deposited Tk 1.5 crore  in four instalments from Sonali Bank Limited’s Kurigram branch into Ranga’s account at Sonali Bank’s Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban branch. Read More: JP workers' gathering foiled by police action in Kakrail In this way, a total of Tk 17 million (1.7 crore)was allegedly given as bribe. The accused reportedly attempted to conceal the money through transfer, handover, conversion and transactions. The acts constitute punishable offences under Sections 161, 165 and 109 of the Penal Code, Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, and Sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012, the ACC said. The commission has therefore decided to lodge a case against the accused.

Jatiya Party has relieved lawmaker Mashiur Rahaman Ranga from all party posts, including that of the presidium member. Party chairman GM Quader took the decision by exercising his power given by the party constitution, said a party press release on Wednesdays. The press release, signed by Jatiya Party Joint Office Secretary Mahmud Alam, said the decision has already been implemented. Ranga, a former secretary general of the party, has still been there in the post of Opposition Chief Whip in Parliament. His removal came at a time when a conflict between the GM Quader and Raushon Ershad has surfaced recently over the control of the party ahead of the next general election. On August 31 last, Jatiya Party Chief Patron and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Raushon suddenly convened the party's national council for November 26. A day later, Jatiya Party Parliamentary Party wrote to Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury requesting her to make Quader the leader of the opposition, dropping Raushon. In a statement on September 2, GM Quader said a third party was trying to implement an agenda by using the name of Raushon. Read: Jatiya Party submits audit report to EC On December 3, 2018, then Jatiya Party Chairman and founder HM Ershad appointed Ranga its secretary general removing Ruhul Amin Hawlader. After Ershad’s death, current party chairman GM Quader made party co-chairman Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu its secretary general removing Moshiur Rahman Ranga from the post on July 26, 2020. As Bablu passed away, party co-chairman Mujibul Haque Chunnu was appointed as Jatiya Party’s secretary general on October 10 last year.