Government takes action against 12 DPDC engineers

Panchayet Habib

Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) is under intense scrutiny following an official inquiry that revealed widespread corruption and irregularities in a government-to-government (G2G) project valued at around Tk 22,000 crore that was carried out during the previous Awami League government. An estimated Tk 100 crore was lost as a result of the investigation, which showed that vital electrical equipment was imported from China rather than Germany- a clear breach of contractual obligations.

The investigation, which was headed by former Power Division Additional Secretary Md. Sabur Hossain, turned in a thorough 110-page report that detailed extensive fraud, overvaluation, and undermined technical standards. As per the arrangement, 140 sets of 132 kV cable accessories were to come from Germany and be sent straight to Chittagong Port from a Polish port. However, the analysis discovered that 69 sets in the 45th shipment came from Shanghai, China, in violation of the defined origin and supply route agreements, while 71 sets in the 22nd and 43rd shipments were allowed without adequate verification.

Another committee headed by former Executive Director Morshed Alam Khan suggested accepting the goods with an additional five-year warranty, despite explicit warnings from a seven-member DPDC expert panel led by Chief Engineer Tarikul Huq, which strongly opposed the 45th shipment due to serious technical and financial risks. The inquiry report rejected this concession, stating that ‘extending a warranty does not fulfill contractual obligations regarding manufacturing origin or quality’. The investigation revealed that Chinese goods are 20 to 30 percent less expensive than German ones, and it was suspected that this price difference was used to steal about Tk 100 crore.

Numerous senior DPDC officials, including former Managing Director Bikash Dewan, former Executive Director Morshed Alam Khan, former Project Directors Mahbubur Rahman and Abdullah Noman, current Project Director Fazilatun Nessa, Executive Engineer Md. Tarikul Islam Titu, and several superintending and chief engineers, are named in official documents. The Power Division gave orders on September 4, 2025, and Senior Assistant Secretary Md. Najmul Hamid Reza signed a follow-up letter on August 4 recommending prompt suspension and departmental procedures against individuals responsible. However, DPDC’s continued inactivity has created severe concerns.

The investigative report has now been sent to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) after DPDC Managing Director Habibur Nahar declined to comment on the delay and claims of accused personnel lobbying or trying to escape overseas. By taking this action, the matter moves beyond internal administrative procedures and into a comprehensive legal inquiry by the nation’s anti-graft authority.