Bangladesh Tennis Federation (BTF) general secretary Sanaul Haque has alleged that an ex-BTF general secretary and the planning and development director of National Sports Council (NSC) Nurul Haque Pradhan was involved in foul-play in reconstructing a "players’ hostel" inside the Ramna Tennis Complex.
The so-called hostel, reshaped from a few rooms under the gallery, has become residence of a number of NSC employees.
Sanaul complained that it has also damaged the federation financially.
The rooms under the gallery, which were for rent, were an income-source of the federation but it has now become the opposite.
"The NSC employees who live there, use heaters for cooking and we have to pay the electric bills. Pradhan has brought them here," informed Sanaul.
"When Pradhan was the general secretary of BTF’s ad-hoc committee, he misused his power," the current general secretary accused.
About Tk 26.5 lakh was spent in reconstruction but according to Sanaul, who is also an engineer, claimed that it would hardly take Tk 3-4 lakh for this purpose. It was learnt that the renovation works were handled by the younger brother of the PS of ex-sports minister M Fazlur Rahman.
"Also, we have places for advertising billboards inside our complex, which brought us about 5-6 lakh Taka per year. He (Pradhan) took it under the jurisdiction of the NSC and rented for a mere Tk 1.5 lakh. We have informed the NSC of this," added Sanaul.
The controversial NSC director, during his tenure as BTF secretary, also spent Tk 16 lakh for painting four tennis courts but sources said that the actual expenditure was less than Tk 50,000.
NSC secretary Aminul Islam Khan informed that the billboard rights have already been handed over back to the BTF.
"Yes, the tennis federation has informed us about this and we are looking at it. The sports adviser has also come to know about the incidents," Aminul told The Daily Star yesterday.
NSC’s construction-happy director Pradhan, who has allegedly made a fortune misusing his post and as the right hand of M Fazlur Rahman, was not available for comments but he told a local news agency yesterday that that he found no reasons for NSC employees living in the players’ hostel.
"A few ball boys live there as far as I know but a few NSC employees might have moved there later," Pradhan was quoted by the news agency.
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/02/26/d70226040328.htm