Irregularities and Corruption Allegations Plague Sheikh Zayed Trust
A probe committee investigates widespread corruption and illegal recruitment allegations within the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan Trust. Former minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed and multiple officials are implicated in bypassing recruitment standards.
The Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan Trust, established back in 1984, operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Welfare and manages two separate child welfare facilities located in Dhaka's Mirpur area and Lalmonirhat. These institutions provide housing, meals, and educational support for approximately 400 orphaned girls. However, the trust has recently become the center of severe controversy following major allegations of administrative irregularities, nepotism, and corruption regarding job placements.
Among the central figures in the scandal is Abdul Hakim, who initially joined the Lalmonirhat Al-Nahyan Shishu Paribar primary school on May 26, 2018, serving as a part-time teacher with a monthly salary of 8,000 taka. Despite passing his Master's examination in Geography and Environment in 2015 with a CGPA of 2.75, Hakim subsequently secured a permanent appointment to the higher-ranking position of Deputy Supervisor on June 7, 2020, which carried a designated pay scale ranging from 16,000 to 38,640 taka.
The recruitment process has faced intense scrutiny from job seekers and local individuals, including a complainant named Russel Haque. Russel Haque stated, "I was a job seeker for a teaching position. Without any recruitment notice, many people including relatives of Deputy Supervisor Abdul Hakim were given jobs in various posts. Because of this, I have filed a written complaint." These actions have sparked broader investigations into how positions were filled without transparent public advertisements.
Further compounding the controversy, K B M Omar Faruq Chowdhury implicated high-level political figures in the questionable hiring practices. K B M Omar Faruq Chowdhury stated, "I was forced to give that appointment under the direct interference and instructions of the then Social Welfare Minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed." This statement highlights systemic political pressure that allegedly dictated administrative decisions within the welfare trust over previous years.
In response to the mounting public pressure and formal grievances, Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner Muh. Rashedul Haq acted on July 22 by officially forming a three-member investigation committee. The panel was explicitly mandated to conduct an on-site inquiry and submit a comprehensive report within 15 working days. Nevertheless, despite the stipulated timeline, the investigation committee failed to submit its findings by Sunday, August 30, leaving the status of the probe uncertain.
The unfolding situation at the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan Trust involves numerous other individuals across administrative and political spheres, including A Z M Zahid Hossain, Mo. Rokibul Hasan, Shamsun Nahar, Sumi Akhter, Harun Or Rashid, Sharmin Akhter, Ashraful Islam, Abdul Motaleb, Manzila Begum, Samina Khatun, and Rasheda Khatun. As the inquiry continues to stall, public concern remains high regarding the management and future integrity of the orphanages.
