Staff Correspondent

A human rights organization has raised concerns over what it describes as procedural irregularities in the ongoing ministerial investigation into corruption, forgery, and money laundering allegations against Thakurgaon District Registrar Md. Helal Uddin.

The complainant, Bhumir Adhikar Bastabayan Sangstha (Societ for Enforcement of Land Rights ), claimed that the investigating authority's demand to physically present eyewitnesses and primary evidence of institutional graft is an impractical requirement that complicates the inquiry process. They argue that since primary administrative records are kept in government custody, only the designated investigating officer has the legal authority to retrieve and examine them.

The issue stems from a written complaint filed by the organization's Secretary General, Md. Hemayet Hossain, with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which outlined 11 specific counts of alleged corruption against Helal Uddin.

The ACC subsequently forwarded the complaint to the Law and Justice Division (Justice Section-7) of the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs for an internal inquiry.

Following this, the ministry’s Justice Section-7 issued a notice directing the complainant to appear in person on July 13, 2026, along with all supporting documentary and oral evidence.

In a formal written response sent to the Senior Assistant Secretary of the Law and Justice Division, the complainant organization argued that proving institutional corruption relies heavily on official documentation rather than oral testimonies. Under existing legal frameworks, essential records such as original registry volume books, recruitment files, and audit documents remain under government custody, and the organization pointed out that private citizens do not have the legal jurisdiction to seize or present these state documents.

The allegations against the district registrar include a major recruitment scam during his previous tenure in Sherpur, where he allegedly forged the signature of the former Inspector General of Registration (IGR) to issue unauthorized appointment letters. The complainant noted that verifying such forgery requires a forensic handwriting analysis of official records, which must be initiated by the investigator. Similarly, the allegation of money laundering to Malaysia through illegal channels can only be verified by the inquiry officer in coordination with the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) of Bangladesh Bank, the organization added.

Citing safety concerns and administrative hostility, the representative of the Bhumir Adhikar Bastabayan Sangstha declined to appear physically before the inquiry officer on July 13. Instead, the organization submitted a comprehensive written statement enclosing all preliminary reference materials and pointers currently in its possession to assist the probe.

Meanwhile, legal experts have noted that the credibility of the investigation now rests on whether the inquiry officer will exercise administrative powers to seize the relevant government files from the registry offices to verify the allegations.