A former Union Parishad chairmen and 17 UP members have also been charged in the case filed with Palashbari thana on Thursday. The case was filed by Polashbari thana Officer-in-Charge Yusuf Ali.

They have been charged under Section 5 (2) of Corruption Resistance Act 1947 and sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 109 of BPC (Bangladesh Penal Code).

It has been alleged that in fiscal year 2001-2002, 853 tonnes of rice were released against 354 test relief projects in Kishoregari, Mahdipur, Barisal, Haripur and Palashbari unions under Palashbari Upazila under fake orders of the relief ministry.

The fake orders were faxed to the then Deputy Commissioner and the District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer.

On getting the message, the then DC ordered delivery of the rice.

A 3-member team from the Relief Ministry investigated the matter last year and found all the 28 faxed allocation orders fake.

The matter was then referred to the Bureau of Anti-corruption. The District BAC re-investigated the matter for about one and a half years and filed the case. BAC Assistant Inspector did the investigation, sources said.

The probe revealed that former chairman of Kishoregari Union Parishad Abdul Jalil Sarker and 17 UP members misappropriated of the rice allocated against 57 projects.

The accused persons are former Gaibandha District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Sirajul Islam Sikder, former Upazila Project Implementation Officer Shamsul Alam, former chairman of Kishoregari UP Abdul Jalil Sarker, 17 former UP members and Palashbari UNO Dulal Krishna Shaha.

The then District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer was suspended after the ministry probe.