Rakib Uddin: CTG

Serious allegations of financial irregularities and workplace harassment have surfaced against Al Mahmud, Legal Officer (additional charge) of Bangladesh Railway’s Eastern Zone. On August 24, Asma Akhter, a senior assistant at the CRB office who has been serving the railway for nearly two decades, filed a written complaint with the Eastern Zone’s General Manager Md. Subaktageen.

In her complaint, Asma alleged that since Al Mahmud took charge of the legal department eight months ago, he denied her basic office facilities such as a desk and chair and repeatedly made derogatory remarks about her late father, Nurul Islam Faruqi, a former senior officer of the railway.

She further accused him of attempting to transfer another staff member, typist Maksuda Akhter, and of pressuring her to cooperate in the process. When she refused, she said, she was subjected to verbal abuse, harassment, and misinformation being passed to senior officials about her attendance.

The complaint also alleges corruption in the handling of railway cases. Asma claimed that Al Mahmud failed to pursue appeals in certain cases and instead accepted financial benefits from litigants, even handing over sensitive case documents in exchange for money. She added that there were previous allegations against him during his tenure in Rajshahi, including misappropriation of panel lawyers’ fees and inappropriate behavior with female colleagues.

According to her statement, Mahmud repeatedly disturbed her after office hours by phone calls, made offensive remarks and gestures in the office, and on one occasion, touched her inappropriately. When she protested, she claims, attempts were made to transfer her to another department.

Speaking to the press, Asma said, “He is my superior officer, I have no personal conflict with him. But he insulted me by mentioning my deceased father’s name and used abusive language. I demand immediate action from the administration.”

When contacted, Al Mahmud dismissed the allegations, saying, “She misbehaves with me. In any civilized country, would someone like her even be able to keep her job? She always comes late to the office, and when I point it out, it becomes ‘mental torture’? Let there be an investigation, and action can be taken accordingly.”

Efforts to reach Kazi Md. Selim, the acting General Manager of the Eastern Zone, for comment were unsuccessful as multiple calls to his phone went unanswered.