HC for investigating ‘Bangabandhu Corner’ book forgery

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DHAKA, Sept 2, 2020 (BSS) – The High Court has directed to
investigate the theft of intellectual property and forgery of books,
distributed in the ‘Bangabandhu Corner’ of primary education
institutes.

Primary and Mass Education Secretary, Bangla Academy Director
General (DG) Habibullah Siraji and Liberation War trustee Museum
Mofidul Haque have been asked to investigate the matter and submit the
report before the court within a month.

A High Court division bench comprising Justice Obaidul Hassan and
Justice AKM Zahirul Haque passed the order today.

Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Sumon told BSS that a writ petition
was filed in the High Court on August 31 seeking a judicial or
independent inquiry into the alleged fraud and irregularities in the
purchase of books for the Bangabandhu Corner in the country’s primary
schools.

He also said that the writ petition was filed in the name of two
publishing houses by attaching a report published in the media about
the supply of books worth more than Rs 20 crore.

Liberation War Affairs Secretary, Primary and Mass Education
Ministry Secretary, Primary and Mass Education Department Director
General, Journey Multimedia Limited, Swadhika Publishers and Sharmin
Sultana, wife of journalist Nazmul Hossain were made defendants in the
writ petition.

According to recent media reports, Taka 130 crore was allotted for
65,600 government primary schools to buy books on Bangabandhu and his
family members, while only eight books have been bought with Taka 28
crore out of the allocation.

It has been alleged that in the name of supplying this book, Taka
17,57,56,500 was allocated for ‘Journey Multimedia Limited’ and Taka
3,13,38,900 was allocated for ‘Swadhika Publishers’.

A journalist named Nazmul Hossain is associated with these two
publishing houses.

According to the report published in the media, out of the total
allocation of Taka 28,78,12,200, Taka 20,70,86,400 was allocated for
‘Journey Multimedia Limited’ and ‘Swadhika Publishers’.

The book titled as ‘Bangabandhu Manei Shadheenota’ is being
published in the name of Journey Multimedia which was first published
by the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs and the about Bangabandhu’s
imprisonment days titled as ‘3053 Days’ was published by the
Department of Prisons.

Editor of the book ‘Bangabandhu Manei Shadheenota’, Amitabh Deuri
complained that the credit line of the book has been changed, and the
second and third editions of the book were published without informing
him.

Former Pro-Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Nasreen Ahmed
alleged that the book ‘Amar Sheikh Russell’, of which she is the
editor, is being supplied to ‘Bangabndhu Corner’ by Swadhika
Publishers without informing her.