ACC sues four food officials over grain embezzlement in Kurigram

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against four food department officials over allegations of embezzling government food grain worth more than Tk 2 crore and irregularities in stock management in Kurigram. The case follows the discovery of discrepancies during a review of stock, procurement and payment records for the 2025-2026 financial year and a physical inspection of stocks.

Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, deputy assistant director of the ACC’s Integrated District Office in Kurigram, filed the case with the Kurigram District Senior Special Judge’s Court on Tuesday (27 October). He confirmed the filing himself.

The accused are Sharif Ahmed, then officer-in-charge of the Kurigram Sadar food warehouse; Helal Uddin, then assistant sub-food inspector; Halimur Rahman, then Kurigram Sadar upazila food controller; and Mohammad Kazi Hamidul Haque, the current acting district food controller. Except for Haque, the other three have been transferred and are now serving in different districts.

According to the ACC’s first information report, the four face charges under sections 420, 409 and 109 of the Penal Code, 1860, and section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. Sharif Ahmed also faces a charge under section 120B of the Penal Code over the storage of unrecorded rice.

Discrepancies between records and actual stocks

The complaint states that an ACC enforcement team raided the Shishu Niketan and Khalilganj warehouses under the Kurigram Sadar food warehouse on 11 January this year. The team found various discrepancies while examining records of government rice and paddy stocks, procurement and bill payments.

The findings included rice stocks falling short of recorded quantities, discrepancies in accounts of procured paddy, and food grain missing from warehouses despite bills having been paid. Based on these discrepancies, the four officials have been accused of embezzling government food grain worth approximately Tk 2 crore 1 lakh 75,352.

119 tonnes of unrecorded rice found

During the raid, the enforcement team found 119 metric tonnes of unrecorded rice stored beside the western gate of the warehouse adjacent to Shishu Niketan School in Kurigram Sadar. The rice had an estimated value of Tk 69 lakh 39,959.

The ACC alleges that Sharif Ahmed, the warehouse’s then officer-in-charge, could not produce valid documents relating to the procurement, weighing, storage or transport of the rice. He therefore faces a charge under an additional section.

The first information report also alleges that the four officials colluded to create discrepancies in stock and procurement records and were involved in embezzling government food grain. The ACC said any involvement of others uncovered during the investigation would also be taken into account.

ACC’s statement

Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, the complainant and ACC deputy assistant director, said: “After the raid, we sent a report to the ACC headquarters. The headquarters recently approved the filing of the case. Following that approval, I filed the case in court this afternoon (Tuesday).”

Meanwhile, Kurigram’s acting district food controller, Mohammad Kazi Hamidul Haque, said he was unaware of the case. “I do not know about the case. I have learnt about it from you. I have no comment on this,” he said.

The facts behind the allegations and the responsibility of those concerned will, however, be determined through the investigation and judicial proceedings.