Four Brahmanbaria Council Chairmen Suspended Over Fraud

The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Co-operatives has suspended four Union Parishad (UP) chairmen in the Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh. The disciplinary action follows a formal investigation that confirmed allegations of fraud involving the creation of forged birth and death registration certificates. The ministry’s decision was communicated via nine separate notifications signed by Helena Perveen, Deputy Secretary of the Local Government Division (UP-1 branch).

Investigation and Findings

The scandal came to light following an investigative report published by the national daily Prothom Alo on 26 December, titled “Fake Birth-Death Registration to Meet Targets.” The report alleged that local officials were fabricating records to artificially satisfy government-mandated registration quotas.

Following the publication, the Office of the Registrar General directed the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Brahmanbaria on 20 January to conduct an on-site investigation. The resulting inquiry confirmed that the chairmen and administrative officers of four specific unions were directly involved in the fraudulent activities. The investigation found that such actions were not only illegal from an administrative perspective but also contrary to public interest.

Suspended Officials and Legal Context

The ministry has exercised its authority under the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, 2009. Specifically, the chairmen were suspended under Section 34(1) for committing offences detailed in Section 34(4)(b) of the same Act. In addition to the suspensions, “show-cause” notices have been issued, requiring the chairmen to explain within ten working days why they should not be permanently removed from their positions.

The following table identifies the chairmen and administrative officers implicated in the fraud:

Actions Against Administrative Personnel

While the ministry holds the authority to suspend elected chairmen, the administrative officers (UP Secretaries) fall under the jurisdiction of the local district administration. Consequently, the Ministry of Local Government has formally requested the Deputy Commissioner of Brahmanbaria to initiate legal and departmental proceedings against the four administrative officers involved.

Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner, Md. Abu Sayeed, confirmed receipt of the ministerial orders on Wednesday, stating that the district administration would strictly follow the directives to ensure accountability. Md. Shariful Islam, Deputy Director of Local Government for the district administration, reiterated that the field-level investigation corroborated the initial media reports, proving that the integrity of the national registration system had been compromised for the sake of meeting statistical targets.

The notifications emphasise that the fraudulent use of administrative power by these officials has undermined the fundamental purpose of the Union Parishad system. All responses to the show-cause notices must be routed through the Deputy Commissioner’s office to the Local Government Division.