Staff Reporter:

Members of the ‘Nityaprayojaniya Drabyadi Kretabikreta Bahumukhi Samabay Samity Ltd.’ (Essential Commodities Buyers-Sellers Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd., Reg. No. 803)—located in Sector 6, Azampur, Uttara—have raised long-standing complaints regarding the society’s operations, financial accounts, and management. Officials state that the society, established in 2008, has 1,349 members.
Members allege that regular elections have not been held since the society’s inception. They claim that a few individuals have been running the committee by declaring themselves President and General Secretary without informing the general membership. Consequently, resentment and a lack of trust have festered among the general members for a long time.

According to the members, money has been collected—sometimes against receipts and sometimes without them—under the guise of various society activities. Several members also alleged that anyone raising questions about these matters faced threats of having their membership cancelled or being expelled from the society.

“We Demand an Accounting of Our Savings”
Society members Nurunnabi (Member No. 6), Sujan Mia (Member No. 251), Giasuddin (Member No. 86), and Abdullah, among others, stated that their primary demands are the disclosure of transparent accounts for every financial transaction and the immediate holding of a proper election.
They are asking: What is the current balance of the members’ savings deposits? What is the daily collection amount, and where is the money being spent? How much revenue was generated from share sales? What are the income and expenditure figures for electricity and water services? They want written answers to these questions.

Simultaneously, members have raised questions regarding the society’s assets. They demand the disclosure of the current status and inventory of assets, including two air conditioners, a large steel cabinet, approximately 100 ‘Partex’ chairs, two tables, three laptops, a television, a large 200 kVA generator, and two smaller generators.

In the words of the members, “This is not anyone’s personal money; it represents our savings earned through blood and sweat. We want an accounting of every single penny.”
Business Operations in the Office—Where Will Members Sit? A visit to the association’s office provided an opportunity to speak with several tenants. Members allege that although certain rooms were intended for the association’s operational activities, they have instead been rented out for commercial businesses and warehousing.

A tenant named Imran stated that he has been running a business at the location for about four months, having paid a deposit of Tk 1 lakh and agreeing to a monthly rent of Tk 16,000.

Another individual, Mozammel, said he also paid Tk 1 lakh and pays Tk 15,000 monthly to use one of the association’s rooms as a warehouse.
Members question where the revenue from renting out the office space has gone. They also want to know whether the rental income has been deposited into the association’s accounts.

**Long-standing questions regarding the General Secretary position**
Some members allege that Anwar Hossain has wielded influence as General Secretary since the association’s inception. They claim he amassed illegal wealth worth crores of taka in his village through corruption involving the cooperative society and has repeatedly sought to retain the General Secretary post. There are also allegations that he attempted to install his nephew, Nur Islam, in the position. He reportedly prevented any elections from taking place, instead running the association through a “pocket committee” (a committee handpicked by him). General members have urged the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the matter and take appropriate action against him.

Attempts were made to contact Anwar Hossain via mobile phone and WhatsApp to verify these allegations, but he did not answer the calls, and no statement could be obtained from him.

Some members have also alleged collusion between the so-called General Secretary, Anwar Hossain, and certain officials from the Department of Cooperatives. Consequently, the concerned members believe a formal investigation is necessary to verify these claims.

**High Court writ and subsequent interim committee**
Sources indicate that a writ petition (No. 8433) was filed with the High Court on July 2, 2026, in response to the members’ grievances. It is reported that the cooperative authorities subsequently took action following the court’s directives.
Following this, Order No. 2291 was issued on September 1, 2026, by the District Cooperative Office in Agargaon. According to the order, a three-member interim management committee was formed, with Md. Firozjul Alam appointed as the President. According to the order, the committee’s tenure is set for 120 days from the date of appointment. Instructions were also issued—in compliance with Circular No. 428 (dated August 1, 2007) of the Department of Cooperatives—to conduct routine operations (excluding the enrollment of new members) and to hold elections within the stipulated timeframe to hand over responsibilities to an elected committee.

Officials found no one from the former committee upon arriving to take charge.
Md. Firozul Alam, President of the new interim management committee, had sent letters to the relevant individuals requesting their presence at the society’s office on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 11:00 AM to facilitate the handover of responsibilities.
The letter requested that the society’s income-expenditure ledgers be updated and that the latest bank transaction details, chequebooks, and all relevant records be kept ready for the handover at the appointed time and place.

In accordance with the schedule, officials from the Department of Cooperatives arrived at the society’s office on September 23. However, Md. Firozul Alam, the Metropolitan Thana Cooperative Officer, reported that no one from the dissolved management committee was present.
When asked, he informed this reporter that they would be summoned again via a fresh letter and expressed his hope for cooperation from the media.