Hundreds of Crores Looted Under the Guise of Book Procurement: ACC Finds Proof of Corruption
The horrific irregularities surfaced during an enforcement drive conducted by the ACC head office on Monday, January 19. On Tuesday, January 20, ACC Deputy Director Md. Aktarul Islam confirmed the matter, stating that initial proof of corruption was found after conducting raids at the Department of Public Libraries and relevant ministries and reviewing official records.
According to ACC sources, over BDT 22.24 crore was spent between 2020 and 2022 under the 'Bangabandhu and Liberation War Corner' project. Analysis of the records revealed that multiple books were purchased from the same publishing house, and books authored by members of the book selection committee themselves were also procured under the project. ACC officials stated that there is clear evidence of wasting state resources for personal gain. A detailed report will be submitted to the commission for further legal action after a full analysis of the collected documents.
Allegations suggest that around 20 publishing houses close to the previous government embezzled massive amounts of money by competitively publishing books solely praising the Mujib family. Many of these publishers were active on social media and the streets to oppose the 2024 student-led mass uprising. Some reportedly supplied books to government institutions at arbitrary prices through intimidation. While many of these publishers are currently in hiding, some are reportedly trying to become active again by shifting their political identities. Furthermore, nearly half of the BDT 10 crore allocation of the National Book Centre was spent on purchasing books about Bangabandhu and his family, indicating large-scale looting in the publishing sector.
Allegations of looting hundreds of crores under the guise of book supplies for various projects, including the Education Ministry’s SEDP, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, and the Department of Public Libraries, are now under intense ACC scrutiny. The investigation against the owners of at least 20 controversial publishing houses has sent ripples through the publishing industry.
