Govt withdraws ‘bribe-taking official’

Md Shahidul Haque, who was filmed taking bribes from service seekers at his office on a number of occasions, is withdrawn from his office at Motijheel in Dhaka. The commerce ministry has issued an order in this regard on Sunday.

The commerce ministry issued an order in this regard this morning, a senior official of the ministry told The Daily Star.

READ MORE: Official caught in camera while receiving bribe

Md Shahidul Haque, who was controller at Dhaka office of the Office of Chief Controller of Imports & Exports (CCI&E) under the commerce ministry, has been attached to the commerce ministry for public interest, the order said.

Video clips available on the social media shows him counting notes at his office in Motijheel, bargaining with service seekers over the amount of bribe and putting the cash in his trouser pocket.

It was unclear when the video was shot. But commerce ministry sources said their top officials came to know about it before the Eid-ul-Azha.

A committee headed by the ministry's Joint Secretary Sadar Ali Biswas was formed on September 21, and it launched a probe into the matter after the Eid vacation.

Asked about the video tapes, Shahidul on Thursday said this was all part of a conspiracy by some officials at his office and outsiders.

He joined the public service in 1985. Before being made controller at Dhaka office, he held important positions at the commerce ministry, the Tariff Commission, and the Export Promotion Bureau.

According to the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), corruption is widespread in many government offices, and bribe takers, in most cases, go unprosecuted. 

The latest bribery scandal is a reminder of corrupt practices at public offices.

According to the rules, businesses have to obtain registration certificates from the CCI&E to import or export goods. The fees for imports and exports are fixed, and they vary depending on the volume of the goods.

A number of businesspeople alleged that they had to pay bribes for getting certificates even though they had submitted all required documents. And Shahidul led the group that took bribes from service seekers at Dhaka office of the CCI&E.

The head office of the CCI&E is in Motijheel, and it shares the same building with its Dhaka office. The agency has 15 branches across the country.