Allegations of irregularities of CSR money distribution against KAFCO
Photo: Collected
Dhaka: The multinational fertilizer factory Karnafuli Fertilizer Company (Kafco) has been accused of spending money in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) sector in the last two financial years.
Kafco is located in Anwara upazila on the south bank of the river Karnafuli in Chattogram. Bangladesh government owns 49 percent share of this multinational company while the rest 51 percent os owned by various foreign companies. As per rule, Kafco's CSR money goes to people in the vicinity of the factory. However, not a single taka of the CSR sector has reached the people of the area. However, the people of the region have been victims of environmental disasters at different times while trying to produce fertilizer in Kafco.
It is learned that almost all the money in the CSR sector of the company has been spent in the name of various organizations in Barisal. Bills for coming to Barisal by air or restaurant bill in Barisal have also been paid from the money of the Kafco CSR fund. The development work of Barisal graveyard has also been done with the money of Kafco CSR. The amount is about one crore rupees.
An investigation into the cause of the irregularities has revealed that Kafco's outgoing chairman, Abdul Halim, retired in May. He is a former Industry ministry secretary. His home is in Barisal. Now, as per the rules, Industry Secretary will be the chairman of Kafco.
The entire money was allocated to Barisal through the hands of Chief Corporate Officer (CCO) MD Rabiul Haque Chowdhury in violation of Kafco's law. According to Kafco's law, there is no opportunity to buy products worth more than 100 US dollars or the equivalent in Bangladeshi currency in cash. If you want to buy more than that, you need the approval of Kafco's purchasing committee or that committee will buy it.
Rabiul Haque Chowdhury has ignored the law and the committee and bought everything himself with the money of corporate social responsibility. And he submitted that bill to Kafco. He has spent 83 lakh 69 thousand 71 rupees out of one crore rupees in the corporate social responsibility sector.
Meanwhile, there are allegations that Rabiul Haque Chowdhury has taken various financial benefits in return for allocating all the money of corporate social responsibility to Barisal.
It is learned that he has bought flats in the country and abroad with this unethical advantage. He has a flat and a duplex flat at Shams Tower, Block C, Shahjahan Road, Mohammadpur, Dhaka. Apart from this, there is a flat in Bangkok, Thailand. Address: Alisha Serviced Apartment, 12/699 Mo 15 Bangkoui, Bangapli, Samut Prakan 10540. However, in the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 financial years, a music company called Surer Dhara in Dhaka outside Barisal was given a total of seven lakh rupees in two phases, two lakh rupees and five lakh rupees. Besides, Taka 15 lakh 7 thousand for computer and science lab, Taka 12 thousand for laying the foundation stone of Fazlul Haque School in Barisal, Taka 6,400 for airfare from Dhaka to Barisal, Taka 5 lakh and Taka 2 lakh for Dhaka's Surer Dhara School, laptop 3 lakh 94 thousand as a gift, 2 lakh as a grant to Chargaria Mosque, 2 lakh and 6 lakh for Halta Haji Bari graveyard development, 5 lakh for Halta school donation, Taka 84310 for laptop in that school, computer lab for another school in Barisal Taka 5 lakh, Taka 11217 for Fazlul Haque School ICT Lab, Taka 2216 for computer setup, Taka 21360 for Science Lab, Taka 614113 for buying laptop for another school in Barisal, Taka 112652 for buying lab equipment of anonymous organization. Moreover, the bills for staying in a hotel in Barisal have been shown as 156254 rupees.
Apart from this, a donation of Taka 5 lakh has been shown to Barisal Altaf School and Taka 6 lakh to Mukul Smriti School.
When tried to contact Kafco's chief corporate officer Rabiul Haque Chowdhury on his mobile phone several times to take information about the allocation of CSR money in Barisal, but he was not available.
Meanwhile, professionals in the Chittagong region have expressed displeasure over Kafco's CSR spending in other districts.
Engineer Delwar Hossain Majumder, a general board member of TIB, said in this regard that after the establishment of Kafco, the surrounding area was severely polluted. Many people have been affected. Also many poor people live in Kafco area. They are the full claimants of the money allocated for corporate social responsibility of this multinational organization. But it is not only unjust to take all the money to Barisal by bypassing them, it is also a kind of corruption - it is shameful. Those who are in these responsibilities have become accustomed to nepotism and irregularities. Action should be taken against them, he added.
