Noman Group Stealing Gas

Noman Group, one of the country’s renowned industrial conglomerates, and its affiliated companies have been accused of stealing gas worth hundreds of crores of taka. The allegations include illegal extraction of government gas and installation of concealed bypass lines. During the previous Awami League government’s tenure, the group allegedly continued looting this valuable state resource in collusion with corrupt Titas officials and employees.

Following a written complaint detailing the allegations, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution PLC has formed an investigation committee.

According to sources on the investigation committee, a company owned by Noman Group has installed an unauthorised distribution room and an oversized pipeline. A Titas Gas distribution room has allegedly been illegally constructed inside Jaber and Zubair Fabrics Ltd, an affiliated company of the group located in Pagar mouza of Tongi. Although the company was granted approval for an 8-inch gas pipeline, it later secretly installed a 12-inch pipeline using its own funds.

The company also allegedly installed another gas pipeline and a DRS from Tongi Cherag Ali TBS, keeping the entire system under its control and using a huge volume of gas. According to the investigation committee, gas is being stolen through suction pumps and bypass lines.

A concealed pipe or bypass line connected to the factory’s main supply line before the meter allows gas to flow directly into the factory. As a result, the actual gas consumption is not recorded by the meter. Moreover, the use of powerful suction pumps to draw gas into the factory has caused severe gas shortages for ordinary consumers in surrounding areas. The use of multiple unauthorised risers is causing the government to lose crores of taka in revenue every month.

Earlier complaints over the same issue were submitted to Titas authorities without any effective outcome. The group’s former managing director, Harunur Rashid, and other officials of the then-corrupt management allegedly took at least Tk 10 crore from Noman Group in the name of an investigation. Consequently, no action was taken over the alleged large-scale gas theft, and the investigation was staged to cover up the matter. Noman Group reportedly escaped action after bribing the relevant investigation officials and engineers.

After receiving no remedy, the complainant recently filed another complaint. Following this, Titas Gas authorities formed another investigation committee on September 8.

Sources involved in the investigation said that Noman Composite Textile Ltd had submitted a similar application to Titas Gas on May 30, 2012, requesting that no other consumer be given a gas connection from a pipeline installed with its own funds. The complaint also alleged that similar syndicates had previously caused the government financial losses amounting to hundreds of crores of taka.

In the complaint submitted to Titas, the complainant sought urgent legal action under laws relating to corruption, irregularities and money laundering against Noman Group Executive Director K.M. Masudur Rahman, Jaber and Zubair Fabrics Director Md Abdullah Jaber, Tongi Titas Manager Md Mizan-ur-Rahman and other individuals and organisations concerned.

The complainant also urged the relevant authorities and administration to conduct a mobile court operation under the leadership of an executive magistrate to remove the unauthorised distribution room and gas connections immediately in the national interest.

Demand for Answers to 34 Questions and Investigation Against Probe Committee

Meanwhile, allegations of bribery have also been raised against the three-member investigation committee formed by Titas Gas authorities following the complaint seeking legal action against those allegedly involved in the looting of state-owned resources.

Expressing no confidence in the committee, the complainant submitted a separate complaint to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. The complaint alleged that instead of conducting an impartial investigation, the committee had demanded answers to 34 questions from the complainant.

It also accused the committee of favouring Noman Group and expressed apprehension that it would not produce an impartial report. The complainant sought the formation of another investigation committee to investigate the allegations against the existing probe committee.

In this context, the complainant demanded a comprehensive investigation by a new committee comprising representatives from 10 state agencies, including the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

Questionable Office Order

On September 30, 2026, an application was submitted seeking legal action against Noman Group, the director of Jaber and Zubair Fabrics and relevant Titas Gas officials under laws relating to corruption, illegal gas connections and money laundering.

However, questions have been raised over the fact that a three-member investigation committee had been formed through an office order signed by Titas General Manager (Administration) Hasan Ahmed on September 27, 2026, three days before the complaint was submitted.

The committee comprises engineer Dr Pradip Chandra Mondal as convener, with engineers K.M. Monirul Islam and Md Golam Mohiuddin as members. The complainant alleged that the committee was trying to suppress the original allegations.

On October 26, the complainant attended a hearing at Titas headquarters. During the hearing, the investigation committee informed him that it could investigate only matters within the premises of Jaber and Zubair Fabrics Ltd, excluding alleged illegal connections at other Noman Group affiliates, including Noman Fashion Fabrics, Noman Fabrics Units 1 and 2, and Ismail Anjuman Ara Fabrics.

The complainant alleged that although he requested copies of the approval documents from Titas authorities during the hearing, the committee refused to provide them out of fear of Noman Group’s influence.

The complaint also stated, citing various sources, that committee members had been influenced by gifts from the company concerned. As a result, the complainant expressed doubts about the possibility of obtaining an impartial investigation and an accurate report from the committee.

In view of the circumstances, the complainant demanded the cancellation of the existing three-member committee and the formation of a strong 10-member committee to ensure an impartial investigation. He also called for the inclusion of neutral officials, excluding magistrates and engineers from Titas’s Dhaka division.

The complainant further demanded the formation of a 10-member joint investigation team comprising representatives from the Ministry of Public Administration, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Planning, Anti-Corruption Commission, National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, Criminal Investigation Department, Gazipur Deputy Commissioner’s Office and the Inspector General of Police, along with other relevant authorities.

The proposed team would determine how much gas Noman Group had allegedly stolen and take legal action accordingly.

According to the complainant, unless an impartial investigation is conducted on-site under the leadership of an executive magistrate, with the pipeline connections exposed for inspection, the looting of state-owned resources will continue and those responsible will remain beyond the reach of the law.