Special Correspondent
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has closed an investigation into allegations of acquiring assets beyond known sources of income against Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Additional Chief Engineer (Civil) Md Saidur Rahman and his wife.
The decision, according to a letter issued by the ACC’s Special Investigation and Inquiry-1 Directorate on December 30, 2025, came after the allegations could not be substantiated during the inquiry.
The development comes amid a series of reports and allegations concerning the senior BIWTA engineer, who says a vested quarter is attempting to tarnish his professional reputation because of his role in opposing irregularities and unethical practices within the organisation.
According to BIWTA officials, Saidur Rahman is an experienced and technically competent engineer who has served in several important positions during his career. They said he has earned the confidence of many of his colleagues through his professional conduct and performance.
The ACC letter, bearing memorandum No. 00.01.0000.000.501.01.0037.17.15, states that the allegation was closed as it was not proved during the inquiry.
In another development, the ACC has also decided to dispose of allegations involving alleged irregularities and corruption amounting to Tk 134.64 crore in a BIWTA project, according to a commission decision dated July 10, 2025, bearing memorandum No. 00.01.6100.762.01.357.2022 (35181).
Several BIWTA officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Saidur Rahman had held a number of key responsibilities during his long career and was assigned important duties because of his technical expertise and experience.
They, however, said all relevant documents and statements from the parties concerned should be examined before reaching any final conclusion about allegations against any official.
One official said that if there are specific allegations against Saidur Rahman, those should be submitted to the appropriate authorities for investigation rather than being circulated through what he described as an informal campaign of misinformation.
“If any allegation is found to be true, there should be no objection to taking action in accordance with the law and regulations,” the official said.
“But presenting an allegation as an established fact in the media without first verifying its authenticity is not fair.”
The official also said the actual role and decision-making authority of an additional chief engineer in relation to the projects and decisions being questioned should be properly examined before publishing reports on the matter.
Saidur Rahman said he had always prioritised the interests of BIWTA and tried to discharge his professional responsibilities without succumbing to irregular or unethical pressure.
Strongly protesting what he described as misleading reports, he said journalism has an important role in exposing irregularities and holding public institutions accountable.
“If there are allegations against any official or institution, journalists certainly have a responsibility to investigate them,” he said. “But verifying information and obtaining the comments of the concerned parties before publication are fundamental principles of responsible journalism.”
He urged journalists not to rely solely on information supplied by individuals or vested interests.
“Relevant official documents, government decisions, project records and statements from people directly involved should be examined before publishing a report,” he said.
Saidur Rahman said he welcomed journalistic investigations aimed at uncovering the truth, but warned that publishing reports based on false, fabricated or deliberately misleading information could damage not only an individual’s reputation but also that of their family and institution.
He also called for objective scrutiny of the allegations and said he had no objection to any legitimate investigation into his professional conduct.
ACC clears probe into undisclosed assets allegation against BIWTA engineer
