ACC Finds Evidence of Irregular Promotions from Laborers to Engineers in Chittagong City Corporation

Chittagong, July 7, 2025 – The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has uncovered evidence of irregular promotions in the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), where several individuals appointed as laborers were promoted to positions such as assistant engineer, tax collector, road supervisor, license inspector, and accounts assistant, bypassing standard procedures. On Monday afternoon, a team from the ACC’s Chittagong Integrated District Office-1 conducted a raid at the CCC office.

The operation was led by Mohammad Emran Hossain, Assistant Director of the ACC’s Chittagong Integrated District Office-1. He stated, “We have found evidence of illegal promotions of laborers to various posts. We have collected relevant documents related to appointments and promotions, which will be reviewed to prepare a report.”

A report published in Prothom Alo on July 4 revealed that these irregularities occurred during the final two years of the ousted Awami League government, when Mohammad Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, joint general secretary of Chittagong city Awami League, served as mayor. Rezaul assumed the mayoral role on February 15, 2021, and was removed by the interim government on August 19, 2024, following the government’s fall on August 5. During his tenure, a list of 188 appointments was compiled by CCC, showing that at least 64 individuals were promoted from laborer roles to higher-grade positions.

According to CCC’s staffing structure, laborer positions are in the 20th grade. However, these individuals were promoted to roles such as assistant engineer (10th grade), tax collector, or license inspector (16th grade) without following proper recruitment processes, including issuing public notices or conducting written or oral examinations.

For instance, Mohammad Roknuzzaman joined as a laborer on June 18, 2023, and was appointed as the lab in-charge (assistant engineer) at Sagarika Testing Lab on the same day. Rashid Ahmed, appointed on September 7, 2023, was transferred to the electrical department as an assistant engineer within 19 days. Jahidul Ahsan, an HSC graduate, and SM Rafiul Haque Moniri were also promoted to assistant engineer positions within 17 and 14 days of their appointments as laborers, respectively.

According to the CCC Employee Regulations-2019, assistant engineer positions can be filled through direct recruitment (80%) or promotion (20%). For promotion, a candidate must have 12 years of service as a road supervisor or streetlight observer, a requirement not met in these cases.

CCC Secretary Mohammad Ashraful Amin said, “We have provided the documents requested by the ACC. Additional documents will be submitted tomorrow.”