BIWTA's Sultan Khan makes Tk 5 crore budget to escape murder case

BIWTA (Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority) works as a major supporter of the country's inland waterways, vessel management and regional trade. The main trade and commerce of the waterways is conducted around the Shitalakshya, Buriganga, Dhaleshwari, and Meghna rivers in Narayanganj. BIWTA, which is responsible for the safety of waterways from Sadarghat to Narayanganj, Munshiganj, and Chandpur, became a hotbed of irregularities and corruption during the previous Awami League government. The interim government is having to pay the price for this. The possibility of this department recovering quickly in the face of losses is very slim.

The beneficiaries of the fallen government in BIWTA are still active. They are trying to thwart the current interim government by carrying out various activities in various ways. This circle is trying to create a deadlock in BIWTA. The main plan is Sultan Khan, the nephew of influential Awami League leader Mahbubul Alam Hanif.

There is a murder case against Sultan Khan, the accused in the student-public murder case during the anti-discrimination movement, at Bhatara Police Station. But the police are not arresting Sultan for unknown reasons. Sultan is trying to escape the case by presenting himself as honest, talented, loyal and a BNP member. Reliable sources have said that he is entering the field with a fund of 5 crore taka to escape the case.

BIWTA is an important organization of the Ministry of Shipping. Superintending Engineer Sultan Ahmed Khan worked in this organization. He is the nephew of influential Awami League leader Mahbubul Alam Hanif. He had single-handedly controlled BIWTA for the past 15 years as his uncle. If anyone did anything without the Sultan's order, the sword would fall on him.

The Sultan Syndicate controlled transfers, appointments and tender trade. Sultan remained out of reach by spreading false news against honest and talented officials in various media through Sanjib Kumar Das, the current general secretary of the Sramik League, who was trusted by Sultan. All those officials were in a bad situation during the previous fascist government.

Sultan Ahmed Khan was immediately dismissed from BIWTA on October 2 last year. The investigation into the allegations against him is ongoing. But he is still reckless. He is carrying out various immoral activities with his associates. Due to this, it is feared that a bloody clash may break out in BIWTA at any time.

Sultan is leading his forces with a very cold head. BIWTA officials and employees have demanded exemplary punishment by arresting the identified corrupt Sultan and his team and those involved.

Although BIWTA was saved from the hands of Superintending Engineer Md. Sultan Ahmed Khan, the nephew of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Joint General Secretary of Awami League Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif, his influence has not diminished. The cronies of the fallen government are conspiring to stop the implementation of various development projects of BIWTA. They make various comments to embarrass the government while sitting in the office.

Recently, a group led by former general secretary of Sramik League and retired low-level assistant Rafiqul Islam attacked Sramik Dal president Mazharul Islam in BIWTA and seriously injured him. The mastermind of this heinous attack was Hanif's business partner's nephew, BIWTA's supervising engineer Md. Sultan Ahmed Khan. A case has also been filed with Motijheel Police Station in this incident.

For the past 15 years, BIWTA has been under the control of Dredging Department Superintendent Engineer Md. Sultan Ahmed Khan, using the influence of former Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif. There are also allegations that Sultan's forces were corrupt, using the influence of former Shipping Minister Shahjana Khan.

Investigation revealed that Sultan, after being appointed as the director of the Pabna and Kushtia dredging projects, looted Tk 12 billion from the government without doing any work. It is alleged that this supervising engineer of the dredging department has looted about Tk 6/7 billion by selling the soil of the river dredging project. In these incidents, on October 2 last year, supervising engineer Md. Sultan Ahmed Khan was posted to the Shipping Department on a similar post. The order signed by Deputy Secretary of the Shipping Ministry Mosammat Shukria Parveen was issued. In addition, he was immediately relieved from BIWTA on the same day.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Chairman Commodore Arif Ahmed Mostafa said that BIWTA Superintending Engineer Md. Sultan Ahmed Khan has been transferred. Necessary action will be taken after investigating the allegations against him.

Sultan Ahmed Khan entered the BIWTA job completely illegally in 1996. Although the recruitment notice had a strict decision to recruit 10 people, the BIWTA authorities were forced to give jobs to a total of 13 people, including person number 13, only because of his uncle's pressure. This caused the organization to lose a huge amount of revenue in terms of salary and allowances. With his uncle's blessings, he got promotions one after another, and his forehead was opened. Sultan is now the owner of hundreds of crores of taka. He lives in a luxurious flat in Uttara. He always said that the Awami League will remain in power until 2041. Therefore, no one has the power to touch him in BIWTA.

When contacted, Sultan claimed to be ill and said, "One of my kidneys has failed. Some people are spreading false news against me."

Sultan Khan was removed from his position as the Project Director (PD) of the Mongla-Pakshi project of BIWT Dredging after being caught in irregularities and corruption. After being illegally appointed as a Deputy Assistant Engineer, he was promoted to the post of Assistant in the same style in 2009. His mentor was the controversial former MP from Kushtia, Mahbubul Alam Hanif. He once served as a special assistant to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Sultan Khan is also accused of investing cash on behalf of the fallen government to prevent student and public movements against discrimination. There is a murder case against him at the Bhatara police station in the capital. He is desperate to be cleared of this case.

Mahbubul Alam Hanif's elder brother, Sultan Ahmed Khan, was given a job illegally in 1996 with the blessings of Rashedul Hasan, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping. Engineer Sultan Ahmed Khan's two uncles were very influential, so his power was very long. He did not care about anyone before August 5. Many officials and employees of the building were helpless under his influence.

It has been alleged that he was given unethical benefits even in the case of promotion as an assistant engineer. Even though 7 posts were vacant in the case of promotion, the BIWTA authorities were forced to promote Sultan Ahmed Khan. Engineer Sultan Ahmed Khan's serial number was 9. In the case of his promotion, the BIWTA authorities surrendered to Sultan Ahmed's power.

Sultan Ahmed Khan has taken unethical benefits from senior officials by showing the influence of his uncle Mahbubul Alam Hanif from 2009 to 2024. He is also accused of earning huge amounts of money through transfer and recruitment business. He collected huge amounts of money from more than a hundred people in Pabna district and gave them jobs.

It is learned that Sultan Ahmed Khan was the project director of the project where two PDs who are joint secretaries of the ministry were removed and he was given the responsibility of project director. Sultan Ahmed Khan, an executive engineer (grade 6) officer, took the post by showing various intimidation on the pretext of Mahbubul Hanif.

Despite being a diploma engineer, he was promoted to the position of supervising engineer through a fake certificate. In addition, it is alleged against him that he embezzled about 6/7 billion taka by selling the soil excavated through dredging in Pabna and Kushtia areas. He embezzled all the revenue by selling this soil and not depositing it in the national treasury. Although there was widespread anger among the conscious community about this, no one could protest until now due to the influence of his uncle. But now many are opening their mouths.

The investigation into this matter is ongoing under the leadership of the Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission of Dhaka Division. After the interim government came to power, Brigadier General (retd) Sakhawat Hossain was given the responsibility of this organization, which is engaged in the preservation of waterways and management of ships.

He said that when the organization was trying to turn around under his leadership, a conspiracy began. The cronies of the fallen government are secretly carrying out various evil activities to make BIWTA ineffective. However, the government has taken various programs to make the shipping sector suitable for public use. Along with this, it has been warned that no corruption and any kind of injustice will be tolerated here like in the past. The advisor called on the officers and employees of BIWTA to forget their past activities and fulfill their responsibilities with honesty and integrity.

At the same time, he warned to be careful about any corruption and irregularities in the future. But some privileged advisors of the Awami League government continue to ignore this call. They are trying to make the talented and hardworking officials of the organization inactive and ineffective.

A BIWTA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that many people are being harassed in various organizations and offices by sending anonymous letters. As a result, honest officials of the organization are facing social and family embarrassment. Many are losing their passion for work. The main leader of this group is Sultan Khan, the supervising engineer of the dredging department.

Sultan, known as the business partner of former Awami League joint general secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif, had been exerting sole dominance in BIWTA for the past 15 years by using Hanif's influence. At that time, everyone was afraid of him. And his accomplice in all these activities is Sanjib Kumar Das, a class-four employee. He appointed the employee by using the influence of the former shipping minister. Although this employee, who has been in prison for some time in a rape case, is currently temporarily suspended, his conspiratorial activities have not stopped.

Recently, Advisor M Sakhawat Hossain expressed satisfaction with the overall activities of the river port and said that every officer and employee of the port should strive to perform the assigned duties with honesty and efficiency.

Urging to play an proactive role in increasing the revenue of the Dhaka River Port's wharf, he said that revenue collection activities should be activated quickly in coordination with the law enforcement agencies and the army. The government-determined rate chart should be installed in a visible place at each wharf or point.