BPC's Ahmadullah owns multi-storey buildings in Dhaka, duplex house at village
A Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) deputy manager, who also served for more than six years as the personal secretary (PS) to the corporation's chairman, has allegedly amassed assets worth hundreds of millions of taka, including a multi-storey building in Dhaka, multiple apartments, land plots and a luxury duplex home in his native village, according to an on-the-ground investigation.
The official, Md. Ahmadullah, allegedly registered many of these assets under the names of his wife, parents and father-in-law to conceal wealth that investigators say is inconsistent with his legitimate income.
Extensive Property Portfolio
The investigation found that Ahmadullah owns a 1,160-square-foot apartment in Mirpur's Pallabi Section-6, located on the second floor of House No. 5, Road No. 8, Block C. He is also reported to own another apartment in Mohammadpur and a land plot in Adabar.
While serving as the BPC chairman's PS, Ahmadullah allegedly purchased a three-and-a-half katha plot in Ainta Mouza under Konda Union in South Keraniganj in the name of his wife, Nusrat Jebin Sinthy. The property, identified as Plot No. 287 under the Bashundhara Riverview Project (Deed No. 10197, Khatian No. 2243), now has the roof casting of an eight-storey building completed.
Although the property's current market value is estimated to be close to Tk 100 crore, the registered deed lists its value at only Tk 3.096 million. The land was transferred to Sinthy on November 11, 2021, from fuel transport businessman Abul Bashar Abu.
Sinthy acknowledged owning the plot but claimed that she had taken a bank loan to finance construction of the eight-storey building.
The investigation also found that the Adabar plot was initially purchased in the name of Ahmadullah's father-in-law, Oliul Haque, before being transferred to Sinthy.
In his hometown of Dibakarkathi village in Jhalakathi Sadar upazila, Ahmadullah has reportedly built a duplex residence and owns more than 10 acres of land. He is also said to have purchased an apartment in Barishal city and additional land near Uzirpur College.
Official Vehicle Misuse Alleged
Investigators found that Ahmadullah's wife regularly uses a private vehicle bearing registration number Dhaka Metro-Ga 43-4769, but the vehicle allegedly displays an unauthorized government emblem despite being privately owned.
During his tenure as chairman's PS, Ahmadullah reportedly used vehicles officially allocated to the BPC chairman and board directors.
Residents of his Pallabi neighborhood told investigators that vehicles carrying gifts frequently visited Ahmadullah's residence every month, attracting attention due to the unusually high number of visitors. His son reportedly studies at one of Dhaka's prestigious English-medium schools.
Allegations of Bribery and Commission
Sources familiar with BPC operations alleged that Ahmadullah exploited his influential position to collect commissions by delaying approval files.
BPC oversees eight subsidiary organizations, including Eastern Refinery Limited, Padma Oil Company Limited, Meghna Petroleum Limited, Jamuna Oil Company Limited, Eastern Lubricants Blenders Limited, LP Gas Limited, Petroleum Transmission Company Limited, and Standard Asiatic Oil Company Limited.
Approval for procurement by these entities requires the chairman's authorization, with files first passing through the chairman's PS. Sources claim Ahmadullah routinely delayed files until payments were made by the concerned parties.
He is also alleged to have received monthly payments from all ten bunker fuel dealers supplying fuel to foreign vessels at Chattogram Port.
Private refiners, including Partex Petro Limited, Petromax Refinery Limited, Super Petrochemical Limited, Aqua Refinery Limited, and Bashundhara Oil & Gas Company Limited, reportedly receive hundreds of crores of taka in payments from BPC.
According to sources, Super Petrochemical Limited alone bills between Tk 300 crore and Tk 500 crore every month. Ahmadullah allegedly received regular monthly payments from these companies in exchange for expediting bill approvals.
He is further accused of demanding money before forwarding files related to bitumen distribution and letters of credit (LCs) for foreign fuel shipments to the chairman.
One specific allegation states that approximately Tk 600,000 was collected after delaying approval of the AHK Filling Station project in Shibchar, Madaripur. The payment was allegedly made during a meeting at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
Questions Over Recruitment
Ahmadullah joined BPC directly as a Grade-6 officer in 2019. According to the investigation, he allegedly concealed his permanent address in Jhalakathi, Barishal, and instead used a Dhaka address in his job application.
Following the appointment of Md. Samsur Rahman as BPC chairman in 2018, Ahmadullah was assigned as his personal secretary.
BPC regulations specify that the chairman's personal secretary should hold a position equivalent to an Assistant Manager (Grade-9). However, Ahmadullah, despite serving as a Grade-6 Deputy Manager, reportedly retained the influential post continuously for six and a half years.
Building a Personal Network
Between 2019 and 2020, Ahmadullah allegedly built an extensive network of influence within BPC by recruiting and promoting people from his home district of Barishal.
The investigation found that many positions at BPC's Dhaka headquarters—including peons, personal assistants, security guards, receptionists and drivers—were occupied by individuals from Barishal.
Deputy Manager Md. Ashik Shahriar, responsible for procurement at BPC's Dhaka office and rest house, is also from Barishal.
Other officials identified as originating from the district include Protocol Officer and Rest House In-Charge Md. Moniruzzaman, Chairman's PA Nusrat Islam, Director (Operations) Badrunnessa, security guard Rakib Mia, receptionist Ibrahim, chairman's driver Md. Russell, PS's driver Md. Monir, and rest house staff Mahmud, Shahjahan, Anwar, and Shahadat.
Transfer Order Reversed Within a Day
When ABM Azad became BPC chairman in 2021, he reportedly learned of Ahmadullah's alleged misconduct and transferred him from headquarters to Chattogram.
However, according to sources, the transfer order was cancelled within 24 hours due to pressure from Ahmadullah's network, allowing him to return as the chairman's PS.
Officials also alleged that Md. Shafiul Islam, then in charge of BPC's Dhaka Rest House, lost his job after protesting Ahmadullah's activities. He was later replaced by Moniruzzaman from Barishal.
Concerns Over Fixed Deposits
On March 1, former chairman's PS KM Riaz Rahman submitted a written complaint to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources seeking an investigation into Ahmadullah.
The complaint alleges that Ahmadullah used his influence to secure jobs for relatives in various banks and, in return, directed BPC's Fixed Deposit Receipts (FDRs) and Short Notice Deposit (SND) accounts to those institutions.
It further claims that during Ahmadullah's six-and-a-half-year tenure, BPC placed an unusually large amount of deposits in financially vulnerable banks, resulting in personal gains for him while exposing the corporation to financial risks.
Additional allegations include taking monthly payments from depot managers by threatening transfers, manipulating investigation reports, influencing annual approval of five percent profit margins for fuel companies, and playing a central role in recruitment irregularities between 2021 and 2024.
Documents signed by BPC Deputy Manager (Accounts) Md. Ishtiaq Hossain show that Ahmadullah received Tk 559,000 during the 2024–25 fiscal year as reimbursement for entertainment expenses, travel allowance, daily allowance and fuel bills.
Transferred to Meghna Petroleum
After becoming aware of the alleged corruption network, current BPC Chairman Md. Rezanur Rahman attached Ahmadullah to subsidiary Meghna Petroleum Limited (MPL) on May 13.
However, according to officials who requested anonymity, Ahmadullah has been attempting to return to his former position through his longstanding network within the corporation.
They also alleged that after his transfer, members of his network began disrupting administrative work at BPC headquarters.
BPC's Response
Responding to questions from Asia Post, BPC Secretary Shahina Sultana said no formal complaints had been submitted against Ahmadullah since she joined the corporation, and that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had not sent any official communication regarding him.
Asked about allegations that Ahmadullah's associates were obstructing BPC operations, she said she works directly with the chairman and could not monitor every department's activities.
When questioned about which banks received BPC's FDRs and SND deposits during Ahmadullah's tenure and whether the corporation suffered financial losses, Shahina advised submitting a request under the Right to Information Act.
Repeated attempts by Asia Post to contact BPC Chairman Md. Rezanur Rahman for comment were unsuccessful. Ahmadullah could not be reached for his response, as his mobile phone was switched off.