Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina -File Photo

DHAKA, Oct 12, 2025 (BSS) - The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against 17 people, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and six of her cabinet colleagues, for irregularities in toll collection from Meghna-Gomoti Bridge.

Deputy Director of the Public Relations Department of the ACC Md Aktarul Islam said that the anti-graft body today approved a proposal for filling the case against 17 people including Sheikh Hasina. 

The ACC brought allegations of irregularities in signing agreement for collecting tolls of the bridge and misusing of power that made losses of over Taka 300 crore of the government.

The other accused of the case are former ministers Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Khandkar Mosharaf Hossain, Obaidul Quader, Anisul Haque and M A Mannan, former secretary MAN Siddiq, former additional secretary Md Faruk Jalil, former deputy secretary Md Shafiqul Karim, former engineers of Roads and Highways Division and Bridges Division Md Firoz Iqbal, Ibn Alam Hassan, Md Aftab Hossain Khan, Md Abdus Salam and managing director of CNS Limited Munir Uzzaman Chowdhury, its directors Selina Chowdhury and Iqram Iqbal.

According to the ACC investigation, the responsibility for collecting the tolls of the bridge was given to the Computer Network Systems (CNS) Limited in 2016 through a single quotation. The concerned ministry cancelled the legal tender of the previous party and signed a new agreement without consulting with other firms.

The ministry through the new agreement allowed the CNS Limited to get 17.75 percent services charge excepting the VAT and Income Tax from the total collected tolls. As a result, the CNS Limited received bills of Taka 489 crore from the bridge, whereas, Taka 15 crore was paid to a joint venture company for collecting tolls from 2010 to 2015 period.

The government suffered a loss of Taka 309 crore from 2016 to 2022 period due to the single source agreement of the tender with CNS Limited, the ACC revealed.

The accused persons in connivance with each other for gaining of their own or for others were involved in the corruption by misusing their powers through fraudulent and dishonest activities.

The ACC filed the case under section 409/420/109 of Bangladesh Penal Code and section 5(2) of the Corruption Prevention Act of 1947.