Principal Facing DIA Audit Objections Appointed as DIA Director

The Ministry of Education has appointed Professor Md. Aflatun, Principal of Chandpur's Kachua Government Degree College, as the Director of the Directorate of Inspection and Audit (DIA)—the ministry's primary oversight body—despite unresolved audit objections against him initiated by the agency itself.

Prof. Aflatun received his posting order on July 23, just weeks after DIA submitted an official audit report to the ministry detailing financial irregularities during his brief tenure at Kachua College.

The move has generated widespread resentment within the education administration over both integrity concerns and procedural bypasses. Prof. Aflatun is an officer of the 20th BCS Education Cadre, meaning his appointment bypasses current DIA Joint Director Prof. Md. Idris Ali, who is a senior officer from the 18th batch.

According to DIA audit findings, college authorities presented vouchers totaling nearly Tk 100,000 for various purchases made within 45 days of Prof. Aflatun's joining, but failed to provide corresponding goods or physical inventory during inspection:

• May 11, 2026: A voucher of Tk 20,300 was submitted for book purchases without any formal requisition. Standard purchase commissions were omitted, and no accession entries were found in the library register.

• May 19, 2026: A voucher (No. 65) of Tk 35,400 was submitted for printing envelopes and letterheads despite existing stock and no requisition. Items were neither entered into the stock register nor physically received.

• May 19, 2026: A voucher (No. 74) of Tk 35,000 was submitted for an almirah (cabinet) purchased using funds explicitly allocated for research equipment—a violation of financial rules. DIA inspectors found no physical trace of the furniture or delivery receipt.

Educationists warned that placing an official facing unresolved corruption charges at the head of the government's chief educational audit agency severely undermines institutional credibility.

Speaking to The Daily Campus, Prof. Mojibur Rahman of Dhaka University's Institute of Education and Research (IER) stated, "Only individuals with clean records should hold key administrative posts. If the allegations against Prof. Aflatun stand, this appointment sets a terrible precedent and will only encourage further malpractice."

Repeated phone calls to Prof. Md. Aflatun for comment went unanswered. When contacted, Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Abdul Khalek declined to comment, stating he was in a meeting.

The leadership change comes shortly after outgoing DIA Director Prof. M M Sahidul Islam completed major investigations into notorious financial irregularities at several prominent institutions—including Monipur School and College, Ideal College, and City College—and recommended freezing the salaries of 2,100 teachers identified with forged academic certificates.