Serious allegations of financial irregularities and fund embezzlement have emerged against the Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) of Haluaghat in Mymensingh, regarding the withdrawal of BDT 6 million intended for maintenance work across six Union Parishad complexes without executing physical repairs. The allocated capital, disbursed by the Local Government Division for the 2025–2026 fiscal year, was designated for urgent structural conservation across the Kaichapur, Dhara, Dhurail, Gazirbhita, Jugli, and Swadeshi Union Parishad facilities.
Official records show that BDT 1 million was earmarked for each individual council building, with a mandatory completion deadline set for 30 June. Although administrative paperwork and billing submissions submitted to accounting authorities claimed 100 per cent task completion, physical spot-checks and statements from resident administrative staff revealed that no renovation work had occurred. At the Kaichapur Union Parishad building, plaster continues to flake off deteriorating ceilings, while similar structural neglect—including leaking roofs and broken sanitation systems—remains unaddressed across Dhara, Dhurail, and Gazirbhita. Administrative officers and panel chairmen representing these local councils expressed complete unawareness regarding any ongoing projects or disbursed funds.
The Haluaghat Upazila Accounts Office confirmed that the full allocation of BDT 6 million was drawn from the local Sonali Bank branch following the submission of formal billing documentation. When pressed on the apparent disparity between financial clearance and physical execution, Ismail Hossain, Sub-Assistant Engineer at the Haluaghat Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) office, gave conflicting accounts, initially claiming work was actively underway before stating that contractors had only recently been appointed.
In response to the allegations, Haluaghat UNO Faisal Ahmed explained that due to pressing time constraints at the close of the financial year, special ministry clearance was obtained to execute the procurement offline via the Request for Quotation (RFQ) process. He added that work orders were subsequently distributed among three selected contractors, maintaining his understanding that site operations had begun, while promising to issue formal show-cause notices if contractors had defaulted on starting the work. Meanwhile, Mymensingh Deputy Commissioner Md. Saifur Rahman stated that even under emergency provisions permitting advance billing, physical works must be delivered within the designated fiscal cycle, confirming that district administration will launch a formal probe to investigate the matter and enforce accountability.
