5000 Crore Loot Festival: Fake ⁢Farmers Collect Grant​ Money

An official associated with the project revealed that real ​farmers are not benefiting‌ from the⁢ project. Instead, many fraudulent farmers are taking advantage of the SEZ scheme, with some project officers assisting them in ‌exchange for a ‌share of the money.

The LDP project spends a significant ⁢amount through a matching ⁤grant, with ​the condition that farmers use the non-refundable money to modernize their institutions. However, an investigation⁣ by Today’s newspaper found that many⁤ grantees have no farms⁣ or ⁤dairy ⁢establishments, and have stolen the grant⁤ money ​through fraud.

Several cases were found where​ the same family broke‍ the conditions of the scheme and took‍ grant money⁤ multiple times. Additionally, many farmers ‌who did not⁢ pay ⁤a commission to project stakeholders did not receive the ​grant money.

Examples of fake farmers collecting grant money include Nazrul Islam, who received matching grant money for a‍ non-existent dairy company, and Milan Hossain, who sold the parts bought with the donation money elsewhere.

Juhi Labib Dairy, which received an LDPE ​grant, could not be found, and the⁢ equipment bought with the grant money was sold elsewhere. Mahbub Dairy in Comilla Sadar South also had no machinery bought with grant money.

The investigation also found that the same family was given matching grant⁤ money repeatedly, contrary ⁣to the project’s conditions. Afroza Akhtar from Balurchar area⁢ of South Comilla Sadar received Tk​ 12 lakh 45 thousand as‍ a grant, and five more people from her family are ⁤getting the​ gift money.

The project director, Abdur Rahim, avoided commenting on the​ project funding,‍ while the Director General of the Livestock Department, Mohammad Rayazul Haque, said that if there is any irregularity, it will be investigated.

Real farmers are struggling to ⁣get the grant money,​ with Hamid⁤ Sarkar,​ owner of⁤ Swadesh Agro, being asked for money and later dropped from the list. Another farmer,⁢ who did not want to be named, was removed from the list‌ after the project ​officials discovered his father-in-law’s political identity.

According to project data, matching grants of Tk 38.63‍ lakh have been given to 119 people till June 2024. However, many farmers are⁤ waiting‍ to get the grant ‍money,‍ and several farmers⁢ who have received the matching grant money have to pay step by step to⁤ get the money.

The project director, Abdur Rahim, sub-project director Dr. Hiranmoy Biswas, and Senior​ Financial Management‌ Expert Sarkar Khairul Alam are⁣ directly involved in the process of taking bribe money.