Dhaka Wasa Managing Director (MD) Taqsem A Khan has been paid Tk 5.8 crore as salaries and other benefits in last 13 years, according to a report submitted to the High Court.
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) provided this information on Tuesday in compliance with its earlier directive, say media reports.
In the report, Dhaka Wasa said its MD and CEO Taqsem A Khan has drawn Tk 4.51 crore of the total amount (of Tk 5.8 crore) since Tk 1.29 crore has been deducted from the total amount as house rent and repairs, income tax and relevant costs.
Wasa’s lawyers AM Masum and Syed Mahshib Hossain placed the report through swearing an affidavit to the HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo.
The HC bench kept the report in its record without passing any order, lawyer Syed Mahshib Hossain told The Daily Star.
The HC is yet to fix any date for hearing on the matter, he said.
Replying to a question, lawyer Mahshib Hossain said Dhaka Wasa, which is a statutory organisation under the government, pay the salaries and other allowances to its MD and other officials and staff members from its own fund that is created from the incomes of different bills.
Following a writ petition filed by Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh CAB, the HC on August 17 ordered the chairman of Dhaka Wasa to submit a report before it detailing the total gross salaries, performance bonus, travel allowances and daily allowances (TADA), and all other benefits in terms of cash paid to Taqsem A Khan since the year of his appointment.
The HC also questioned the legality of Taqsem A Khan holding the position of MD and CEO of Dhaka Wasa and paying him Tk 6.25 lakh as his gross monthly salary.
The court issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government to explain why their inaction in not taking any step to remove Taqsem from the post of Wasa MD and CEO and in cancelling the previous decisions increasing his salary in violation of the Service Order (Salary and Benefits), 2015 and the notification issued in this regard by the finance ministry, should not be declared illegal.
Secretary at the ministry of local government and rural development; board of Dhaka Wasa and its chairman; and Taqsem A Khan were made respondents to the rule.
Taqsem A Khan was made Dhaka Wasa MD in 2009. Despite severe criticism of his role in ensuring qualities of Wasa services, he was reappointed for the sixth term.
