Banaripara upazila administration formed the probe body as per order of joint forces just after promulgation of the countrywide state of emergency on January 11.

The rice was sanctioned for relief work among the distressed people in the unions and were delivered from government food godowns on October 19 last year only eight days before transfer of power of the BNP-led 4-party Alliance government

The probe team is being headed by upazila public health engineering officer Sayed Quddus while other members are woman affairs officer Dipika Sen, statistical officer Abdur Rahman, cooperatives officer Hafiz Ahmed and education officer Abdul Latif.

On investigation, the committee detected that 20 tons of rice was sanctioned in name of Iluhar Union Parishad (UP) member Zakir Hussein, 48 tons in the name of Chakhar UP member Idris Sardar, 50 tons in names of Baishari UP members Nazrul Islam and Barek Mridha,30 tons in names of Udoykati UP members Abdus Sattar and Altaf Hussein and 52 tons in names of Sadar UP members Nurul Huq Kalu, Shafiqul Islam and Abdur Rashid under Banaripara upazila.

But the entire rice was misappropriated without giving a single grain to any distressed people and sold at black market.

While giving witnesses before the investigation team, the recipients of rice said they were forced to sign false receiving letters and master rolls of rice distribution by order of Shahidul Huq Jamal, former whip and local BNP lawmaker, Ismail Hussein, the then UNO of the upazila and upazila BNP secretary Aftab Hussein Mofakkher.

When contacted, Banaripara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rafiqul Huq and other sources acknowledged the report.

The probe committee will submit report by next week. Afterwards, legal action would be taken against the persons responsible for misappropriation of rice, they said.