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Jamal Ahmed, staff reporter from Kanaighat, Sylhet //

Kanaighat Sadar Upazila Union Land Assistant Officer of Sylhet Md Shaheen Kabir has received many allegations of bribery and corruption. This lucrative business is going on openly. With the help of some unscrupulous brokers of the local upazila, that unscrupulous person has built a mirror of bribe trade. People of any class and profession go to the land office for assistance and have to pay huge sums of money otherwise the victims are kept on the run day after day on various pretexts. Such sensational information was found in the field investigation.

Multiple victims of No. 1-Lakshi Prasad Union, who did not wish to be named, told the reporter that the Union Land Assistant Officer’s house is in Alampur area, known as the crime zone of Sylhet. After joining the Kanaighat Sadar Union Land Office, he has been carrying on the bribery trade by introducing himself as a local of Sylhet. In a short time, he built a large broker syndicate group. They are always ready to protect him from any kind of irregularities and corruption. The truth of this has also been found in the surface investigation.

On Sunday (September 15), it is seen that office activities are going on continuously from morning to nine at night without following the government regulations. It seems that it is not a government tehsil office, but a commercial organization. In this way every day and night activities are going on. There is a temporary camp of military forces next to the office. The corrupt people of Ghoshkhor are fearlessly carrying out these activities in front of that office. Meanwhile, that Shaheen Kabir is said to be earning money with both hands. It is also seen that those who go to the office are openly giving up bribery transactions. Even in the name of on-site investigation, thousands of rupees are being stolen or files are stuck on his desk.

During the investigation, the victims said that Shaheen Kabir’s closest and most trusted person was a top broker named Abduraqib. A court case is also ongoing against him for his involvement in terrorist activities. In the meantime, he has joined hands with Shaheen Kabir after serving jail time and getting out on bail. He used that top broker for his personal work.

It is alleged that through that broker, he traded bribes at the rate of one and a half lakh taka for only one job. Several other works are pending and negotiations are going on. Starting from his office peon, others in charge also took large sums of money and handed them over to Shaheen Kabir.

Meanwhile, a related source said that last week the trial of the bribery of the top broker and Shaheen Kabir was conducted in his office. When both of them apologized, the mediators forgave them. A 29-minute video footage of the incident has reached the reporter. It is heard there that these two have taken one lakh and eighteen thousand rupees for a work, that too the money of some poor people. Amazing information emerges in their conversation. The poor people immediately borrowed that money from a well-known philanthropist in Sylhet and handed it over to them. Shaheen Kabir initially said that he received fifty thousand taka, but later he also admitted in the meeting that he received the full amount. Another thing can be heard in the mouth of the broker, if you pay another fifty thousand rupees, the matter can be settled. This dialogue meeting was mainly held on the government Khas Bhoomi settlement issues.

Meanwhile, a confidential source said that if anyone protested against the two top corrupt officials, they would face harassment lawsuits. No one in the local area agreed to protest because of fear. Because they make false and purposeful charges against protestors with a syndicate group in order to protect themselves and frame them in various administrations. Many local journalists are also afraid to reveal the truth against them.

In this regard, on Sunday around 3:30 pm, when I went to talk to Shaheen Kabir directly, an office assistant said, “Sir is not in the office now.” Later, when contacted on his mobile phone, it was not possible to take any statement as it was not received. When contacted on the mobile phone of the top broker, his phone was found to be switched off. However, on Sunday and Monday, it is said that they talked several times on the phone. Related sources have confirmed that they can sit in a secret conversation on Monday as well.

Kanaighat Upazila Nirbahi Officer contacted on the mobile phone to inquire about the bribe trade, he said that he is not aware of any such matter but he said that he will look into it.