Development bills were withdrawn on paper for completed projects, but no trace of the projects can actually be found on the ground. The allegation has been made against Kamal Uddin Khandaker, chairman of the No. 19 Darora Union Parishad in Muradnagar upazila, Cumilla, and president of the upazila Krishak League.
According to the complaint, roughly 2.9174 million taka was embezzled in the name of 14 alleged development projects. Ramiz Uddin, member for Ward No. 8 of Darora union, has filed a written complaint with the deputy commissioner demanding an impartial investigation and exemplary action against the person responsible.
The complaint states that a total of 2.778 million taka was allocated in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 fiscal years to implement 12 development projects in Darora union. Union parishad member Ramiz Uddin alleges that most of these projects were never actually carried out, yet nearly 2.5 million taka was withdrawn by showing them as completed on paper. In a separate complaint filed with the deputy commissioner on July 29, he also detailed two more alleged fake projects from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 fiscal years.
Ramiz Uddin further said similar irregularities occurred in TR, Kabikha and Kabita projects, with government funds repeatedly withdrawn by listing projects at the same location.
Meanwhile, reserved women’s seat member Ayesha Begum alleged that she had been assigned responsibility for building a guide wall along a pond next to the road from Mobin’s house to Ajid’s house in the Kaziatal area. She said she was later told the project had been canceled, but subsequently learned that although the project was shown as canceled, the entire allocated amount had been withdrawn.
After receiving the written complaint, the Cumilla district administration took up the matter. Following the complaint filed on July 15, Abdullah Al Mamun, assistant commissioner of the local government branch at the deputy commissioner’s office, has directed the Muradnagar upazila executive officer to conduct an on-site investigation and submit a report.
Darora Union Parishad Chairman Kamal Uddin Khandaker, however, has denied all allegations of embezzlement and irregularities. He claims the projects named in the complaint were actually completed in the 2022-23 fiscal year, under funding that was originally allocated in the 2013-14 fiscal year. As a result, he says, the allegation that money was embezzled under projects from the 2024-25 and 2025-26 fiscal years is entirely baseless.
Sakib Hasan Khan, acting upazila executive officer of Muradnagar, said the matter would be looked into in detail and the necessary legal action taken quickly after an investigation.
Local residents have strongly demanded a fair and impartial investigation, examining project files, allocations, bills and vouchers, the activities of the project implementation committee, and the reality on the ground.