Farooki and the July Museum Controversy Unfolds

Allegations have emerged surrounding irregularities in the July Uprising Memorial Museum construction project, during the tenure of former Cultural Affairs Adviser Mustafa Sarwar Farooki. The project, reportedly worth hundreds of crores of taka, has yet to be completed and missed its intended inauguration timeline last August, with construction still ongoing.

According to the report, controversy has centred on the recruitment process for the museum, which includes positions such as manager, deputy director, curator, and deputy curator. A recruitment notice was issued on 28 January with a short application window until 4 February for at least 96 posts. However, CCTV footage reportedly shows that oral examinations for 62 posts began on 26 January—two days before the advertisement was officially published.

The interviews allegedly took place between 5 pm and midnight at the Sufia Kamal Auditorium and Cine Complex of the Bangladesh National Museum, with over 100 candidates attending between 26 and 31 January. Witness accounts and footage describe candidates entering with documents and being called in for interviews in succession.

A candidate, speaking anonymously, claimed that informal discussions regarding recruitment fees took place, with figures as high as 1.3 million taka per candidate mentioned. Another applicant, Md Faruk, stated that he attended an interview on 27 January for an accounts officer post, with sessions lasting until around 9 pm. He also said candidates were later instructed to reapply after the official advertisement and were allegedly assured of eventual appointment.

A museum staff member, Nazu Mandal, confirmed that interviews were held after official hours over several days, involving approximately 20–25 individuals daily.

A Ministry of Cultural Affairs official stated that initial plans for 300–400 staff were reduced to 107 due to objections from the Finance Division and Public Administration Ministry. He also referred to administrative restructuring involving Tanjim Ibn Wahab, who was appointed Director General of the Bangladesh National Museum and later given additional charge of the July Museum.

The report also alleges irregularities in procurement and expenditure, including duplicate use of funds from both the July Museum allocation and the national museum budget, as well as purchases without formal tender procedures. It further claims that costs were inflated beyond market rates.

Reported Expenditure Summary

Officials associated with the project, including Director General Tanjim Ibn Wahab, have denied allegations of irregularities, stating that no formal recruitment process had yet commenced and describing the claims as untrue. The Secretary of the Bangladesh National Museum also stated that recruitment matters are handled by a seven-member committee and denied allegations of financial transactions influencing appointments. Repeated attempts to obtain comments from Mustafa Sarwar Farooki were unsuccessful, according to the report.