Special OMS of 10-Taka Rice in B’baria: Affluent persons listed as poor

He introduces himself in different ways in line with the different posts he holds.

According to his Facebook profile, Shah Alam is the general secretary of Restaurant Owners' Association in Brahmanbaria, joint-secretary of the district's Jame Mosque committee, a member of the central Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industries (FBCCI) and a director of district FBCCI.

He is also a member of the sports association and general secretary of the blind welfare association in Brahmanbaria. Besides, he is a former general secretary of Chhatra League and former GS of Red Crescent Society in the district.

His most significant political identity is that he is the industries and commerce affairs secretary of Brahmanbaria Awami League.

The "versatile" AL leader is also an OMS dealer.

But surprisingly, his wife, daughter and some close relatives have been named in a list of beneficiaries of the government's special open market sale (OMS) programme for Brahmanbaria municipality area, sparking debate. The list was finalised by the municipality authorities as part of an initiative to help the poor and the destitute amid the coronavirus outbreak.

This sensational disclosure came following an investigation by district committee of the OMS programme, according to relevant documents.

On April 1, the government issued a gazette disclosing its decision that it would launch a special OMS sale of rice at a subsidised rate of Tk 10 per kg in all city corporations. The move was aimed at ensuring food for lower-income people hit hard by the ongoing shutdown enforced to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The beneficiaries include beggars, transport workers, rickshaw-van pullers, day labourers, tea stall workers and members of the third gender community.

The gazette also said not more than one person from each family would be entitled to get the benefits of the programme.

But for Shah Alam's family, the rule appeared to be a bit relaxed, shows the primary list of 500 beneficiaries for each ward under the municipality.

Shah Alam is the designate OMS dealer at Ward 10 in the municipality area.

But he used his political clout when the list for the ward was being prepared, incorporating his family members in it, several local sources told The Daily Star.

A copy of the list, obtained by these correspondents, shows Shah Alam's wife Momataz Alam named at the 16th position. The name of their daughter Afroza appears a little further up, at the 12th spot.

Shah Alam's two brothers -- Mohammad Selim and Mohammad Alamgir -- and sister Shamsunnahar are named at the eighth, ninth and 27th positions respectively, while his brother-in-law Tajul Islam is at third, his wife Asma Islam at five and nephew Nasir, living abroad, at number seven.

Jannatul Islam, wife of Shah Alam's brother-in-law, and his sister's three in-laws -- Motiur Rahman, Mahabubur Rahman and Luthfur Rahman -- are also mentioned in the primary list.

The name of another brother-in-law, Shafiqul Islam, now living abroad, is also seen in the list.

According to Brahmanbaria municipality sources, a total of 9,600 poor people, including those left unemployed by the outbreak, are entitled to get OMS cards, known as ration cards of the poor.

Each OMS card holder is supposed to get a maximum 20 kgs of rice at a subsidised price of Tk 10 per kg.

In the face of allegations from different quarters that the rich and influential, including ruling-party members, were named in the OMS list, the district OMS programme authorities, headed by Deputy Commissioner Hayat-ud-Dowla Khan, decided to investigate the matter, District Controller of Food Subir Nath Chowdhury , also member secretary of the OMS programme, told the Daily Star.

The DC on April 11 wrote to Shah Alam seeking an explanation from him.

Referring to the OMS policy, the letter said a dealer could not mention the names of his wife, daughter and other close relatives in the list of beneficiaries.

The letter asked Shal Alam to reply within two working days as to why his dealership would not be cancelled as per the OMS Policy 2015.

Contacted, Shah Alam told The Daily Star he was not aware of the list. "My brother is a local leader. He told me about a list of the poor and those from the lower middle class in our area. The list was sent to the local councillor and it was finalised by the municipality.

"Besides, I did not distribute any card. As a dealer, I cannot give any card," he said.

Shah Alam is not alone facing the allegation. Names of 84 other people, who according to locals are affluent and do not need assistance, can be found in such lists in the municipality area.

For instance, the name of a man who owns two five-storey buildings in the municipality area, featured at the 34th position of the list prepared for Ward 10.

Besides, a millionaire whose two sons live abroad, a leading cloth merchant in the municipality, and another man with two five-storey buildings have been mentioned in the list for Ward 7, said locals and documents.

Besides, the district Krishak League General Secretary Faridudin Dulal and a ward Awami League president Harun Ur Rashid were named in the list for Ward 12.

The Daily Star could not reach them for comments.

Asked about the irregularities, Brahmanbaria AL president and local lawmaker R A M Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury said the matter was being investigated by the administration.

"If investigation finds the allegation to be true, the authorities will take action against the culprits," he said.

Replying to a query, he said he would request the government to cancel the licence of OMS dealer Shah Alam. "District Awami League will also take action if the allegations raised against him is proved," Muktadir added.

After the Directorate General of Food launched the special OMS programme on April 5, different allegations raised against elected representatives of rice embezzlement forced the government to suspend the programme. The government then resumed it considering the needs of the poor people.

According to a report of Centre for Genocide Studies of Dhaka University, the LGRD ministry has suspended 49 public representatives (18 UP chairmen, 29 UP members, one district council member and one municipal councillor) for irregularities in distribution of relief among the poor amidst the coronavirus pandemic till May 5.

Besides, the Anti-Corruption Commission has filed 15 cases against 20 people, including 14 representatives of the local government, for their alleged involvement in the misappropriation of about 54,000 kg subsidised rice allocated for the poor and vulnerable people.