‘Irregularities’ in Kishoreganj cattle market toll collection

The largest cattle market in Kishoreganj municipal area is Ichchaganj cattle market in Sholakia. The whole district has a reputation for this traditional market. For the last two years, the market has been collecting khas without lease.

A large part of the total income of Kishoreganj Municipality comes from this market. However, due to irregularities, the actual amount of money coming from khas collection remains invisible.

There is a festival going on in this market to collect money from the buyers and sellers through the receipt of illegal khas collection. 

The receipt mentions the name of a person named Abdur Rauf. However, there are rules for collecting khas from buyers and sellers through various external books of the municipality.

No one from the municipal authorities was found at the Ichchaganj cattle market on the spot. 

But in case of collection of khas, the rule is to collect khas money by the people of the municipality. It is seen that people named Helal Mia, Hanif and Kamal are collecting khas. 

When Helal Mia, Hanif and Kamal were asked about the process of collecting khas and the process by which the municipal authorities take the money for collecting khas, they said, "We collect khas." People from the municipal authorities come sometimes and don't come often; they are none other than we actually deliver the money.

When asked how the money for collection of khas is being collected through illegal receipt books, Kishoreganj Municipality Mayor Md. Parvez Mia expressed inability to talk about it.

Mahbub Alam, a lease trader, lodged a written complaint with Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shamim Alam on June 15 regarding transparency and accountability in the lease of Kishoreganj Municipality.