Special Correspondent

Ahsan Habib, Assistant Coordination Officer of the Departmental Case Cell at the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), is facing severe allegations of acquiring illegal wealth worth crores of taka through widespread corruption and abuse of power.

Operating from his office on the sixth floor of the BIWTA building, Habib has allegedly remained stationed at the same desk for 15 consecutive years without transfer. According to concerned sources, he used his long-standing position to manufacture anonymous and bogus letters against various officials and employees, initiate departmental cases against them, and subsequently extort lakhs of taka by threatening them with transfers and suspensions.

Allegations further suggest that Habib wielded immense influence over job placements, transfer trades, and river port lease tenders. Sources claimed he helped former BIWTA secretary Wakil Newaz rake in nearly Tk 10 crore through these channels while personally pocketing around Tk 20 crore. Despite his 15-year tenure in the same post, BIWTA authorities have reportedly failed to provide any satisfactory explanation for his uninterrupted stay.

According to the complaints, Habib has constructed a massive multi-million-taka bungalow across the Gumti River in Cumilla, where he is locally known as a philanthropist. In Cumilla city, near the Kotwali Police Station and the Mugaltuli Jame Masjid, he has built a seven-story building. He also owns two private cars, which he uses when visiting his hometown, alongside extensive fish enclosures and cattle farms. Locals reportedly believe he holds a rank equivalent to a ministry secretary. In Dhaka, he lives in a luxury apartment and has purchased multiple flats that he rents out. With a basic monthly salary of around Tk 60,000, questions have been raised regarding the legitimacy of his vast accumulation of wealth.

When questioned about the accusations, Ahsan Habib defended himself, claiming that all his assets are legal and that he is not involved in any irregularities or corruption. Regarding his 15-year tenure in the same workstation, he stated that his superiors have kept him in the same role because they are satisfied with his work, arguing that it does not constitute a crime.

Described as a beneficiary of the ousted Awami League regime, Habib has drawn strong criticism from fellow BIWTA officials and employees, who have demanded an immediate investigation by the BIWTA chairman and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) into his decades-long stay and wealth accumulation.