A senior official of Bangladesh’s Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has come under renewed scrutiny after a government investigation reportedly found evidence supporting allegations of financial irregularities linked to a major agricultural project.

Dr. Md. Sakhawat Hossain Sharif, former Project Director of the National Agricultural Technology Program Phase-2 (NATP-2), is alleged to have overseen the collection of money from field-level agriculture officers under the pretext of managing project audits. The allegations were investigated following complaints and subsequent intervention by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

According to officials familiar with the investigation, a three-member committee formed by the Ministry of Agriculture reviewed documents, financial records and statements from project-related personnel. The committee reportedly found evidence of unauthorized financial transactions connected to the audit process.

The investigation was launched after the ACC's Enforcement Unit sent a letter to the ministry in April 2024 seeking administrative action over allegations that funds had been collected from upazila agriculture officers outside established procedures.

Sources involved in the inquiry said investigators examined claims that money had been collected from hundreds of field-level officials in connection with the project's audit activities. The committee later submitted its findings to the relevant authorities.

Separate allegations have also emerged regarding infrastructure works under the NATP-2 project. Questions were raised over expenditures linked to road construction and other facilities, with claims that some payments were made despite concerns about the implementation of the work. These allegations have previously been reported in local media and discussed in project reviews.

Despite the investigation, discussions surrounding the appointment of Dr. Sakhawat to the proposed PARTNER project — one of Bangladesh’s largest agriculture-sector initiatives — have generated debate within the agricultural administration, according to sector insiders.

The Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Entrepreneurship and Resilience in Bangladesh (PARTNER) is expected to involve significant international financing and cooperation with global development partners. As a result, issues of transparency, accountability and governance are considered highly sensitive.

Several agriculture officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the possibility of assigning a major development project to an official linked to investigated allegations has raised concerns among some employees. They argued that maintaining public confidence and donor trust requires careful consideration of integrity and accountability standards.

Dr. Sakhawat's comments on the matter were not immediately available.

Neither the Ministry of Agriculture nor the Department of Agricultural Extension has publicly announced any final decision regarding appointments to the PARTNER project.