Dhaka WASA MD’s Family Owns Property in Canada’s ‘Begumpura’

The Managing Director (MD) of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA), Md. Abdus Salam Bapari, and his family reportedly own a house in Canada. The property, located in Toronto, was originally purchased in 2018 under the names of Abdus Salam Bapari and his wife Mahbubunnesa. In 2023, ownership was partially transferred from Bapari to one of their sons, and later the entire property was registered solely in his wife’s name.

Abdus Salam Bapari was controversially appointed as Dhaka WASA’s MD during the caretaker government’s final days, despite facing previous corruption allegations during his tenure as Additional Chief Engineer of the same organization. The discovery of his family’s Canadian property has now raised questions.

Local land records confirm that the house was acquired on March 28, 2018. Multiple sources estimate its current value at around BDT 200 million, while the transaction at the time of purchase was reportedly approximately BDT 120 million.

When contacted on February 26, Bapari claimed that the property had been purchased by his children, who are all professionals. He declined to provide further details, insisting that questions about personal matters were inappropriate and warning of potential legal action if a report was published.

A reporter visited Bapari at the Dhaka WASA office on Sunday at 11:30 a.m., but was initially told he was busy. Later, questions were submitted regarding the purchase, funding sources, and whether the government had been informed about the acquisition, as required by public service rules.

Government regulations require officials to declare and seek approval for property purchases, including by their children if purchased in the name of the parent, with sources of funds disclosed. Former Additional Secretary Firoz Mia told The Times of Dhaka that failing to do so constitutes a violation of civil service laws.

According to Dhaka WASA sources, Mahbubunnesa, Bapari’s wife, had moved to Canada around 2008 with their two sons while pursuing education. She had previously worked as an Executive Engineer at WASA but did not return to Bangladesh to resume her job. Both sons completed their studies in Canada—Abrar Maher in 2021 at the University of Toronto, and Walid Saher in 2017 at the University of Waterloo. Their LinkedIn profiles indicate work experience during their studies.

Bapari was appointed MD of Dhaka WASA on November 11, 2025, following a hastily issued notification that required multiple amendments. To make him eligible, he was promoted prior to the appointment. His name was placed at the top of a three-person shortlist sent to the Local Government Ministry, which approved him without conducting interviews, despite the presence of other qualified candidates.

Sources say Bapari faced corruption allegations during his previous tenure, which led to a prolonged period where he was assigned to the Chief Engineer’s office without significant responsibilities, akin to an administrative “officer on special duty” status. After the previous government fell, Bapari leveraged influence to withdraw departmental cases against him.

Having joined Dhaka WASA in 1991 as an Assistant Engineer, Bapari reportedly received around BDT 25 million in salaries and allowances over his career and was involved in three major projects with total expenditures of approximately BDT 50 billion.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said that purchasing such a property abroad without legitimate income would be highly unusual for a government official. He emphasized that ownership could have been transferred to conceal true ownership. He called for a thorough investigation into allegations of illegal wealth accumulation and asset transfer abroad, recommending that Bapari be temporarily suspended during the inquiry to ensure accountability.

Regarding the property, the current Local Government Minister, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, said the ministry has not yet interacted with Bapari and that detailed information would follow after reviewing the office and its personnel.