Nepotism Allegations Over MP’s Development Projects

Allegations of favouritism have emerged against Jamaat-e-Islami Member of Parliament Md Nurul Amin over the appointment of his close relatives as project presidents for several development schemes in Pirganj Upazila of Rangpur. Local residents claim that a number of projects funded under the Test Relief (TR), Kabita and Kabikha programmes have been placed under the supervision of the MP’s nephew, brother-in-law and other close family members, raising concerns about transparency in the allocation of public resources.

According to local sources, the MP received allocations of Tk 3 million under the Test Relief programme, Tk 2.5 million under the Kabita scheme and 40 metric tonnes of food grains under the Kabikha programme during the current fiscal year. Against these allocations, proposals for a total of 30 development projects were submitted for approval, including 14 under TR, 11 under Kabita and five under Kabikha.

A visit to Tularampur village in Ward No. 9 of Pirganj Sadar Union found that work was underway on two projects financed through the MP’s special allocation. One of them involves the improvement of a Waqtiya prayer house and land filling in the adjacent field under the Kabikha programme, supported by an allocation of 10 metric tonnes of food grains. The project president is Yakub Ali, who is reportedly the husband of the MP’s cousin and is regarded locally as his brother-in-law.

Another project in the same village covers road surfacing from Yakub Ali’s residence to the home of a local resident named Mushfiq, along with the construction of a guide wall beside a pond and further land filling work. The project is being overseen by Salman Sharif Shawon, Yakub Ali’s son, who is alleged to be the MP’s nephew. Local residents also claim that several other projects have been entrusted to close relatives and party activists.

The appointments have prompted criticism from sections of the local community. Resident Mukul Mia said the same Waqtiya prayer house had previously received a development project worth approximately Tk 148,000. He questioned why another allocation had been made for the same location and why the responsibility had once again been given to individuals closely connected to the MP.

Another resident, Manju Mia, alleged that despite submitting an application for the renovation of the village’s old Jame Mosque, the proposal was overlooked while projects involving the MP’s relatives received approval.

Responding to the allegations, project president Yakub Ali said he was unaware of the financial allocation attached to the project. He maintained that he had simply carried out the work after being instructed by the relevant office.

When contacted for comment, MP Md Nurul Amin briefly said, “We will speak later,” before ending the telephone call.

Pirganj Upazila Project Implementation Officer Abdul Aziz stated that the matter would be examined if a formal complaint was submitted. He said appropriate action would be taken if any irregularities were confirmed through an official investigation.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mahmudul Hasan also stressed that no one could withdraw project funds without completing the assigned work. He added that legal action would be taken should any evidence of misconduct or abuse of the allocation process be established.

The TR, Kabita and Kabikha programmes are intended to support small-scale rural infrastructure and community development projects while providing employment and assistance to local communities. As such, transparency in project selection and implementation is considered essential. Although allegations of nepotism have attracted public attention in Pirganj, no government investigation has so far confirmed the claims. Until any inquiry is completed, the allegations remain unproven.