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The interim government will form a high-power committee to investigate the allegation of bribery against the senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration in the appointment of deputy commissioners.

‘The committee will investigate the allegation and examine the Kalbela report (Daily Kalbela). Senior journalists will also be included in the probe body,’ chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam said at a  press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.

Kalbela, a vernacular daily, on Thursday published a report alleging bribery involving Md Mokhlesur Rahman, the senior secretary of the public administration ministry, regarding the appointment of DCs. The report also showed screenshots of the senior secretary’s WhatsApp conversations.

Besides, the advisory council has instructed an investigation into the bribery allegation against the senior secretary.

Three advisers were assigned to conduct the inquiry, Sharmin S Murshid, adviser to the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, said in a press conference over Durga Puja at the secretariat on Thursday.

The three advisers are Lt Gen (retired) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Asif Nazrul and Md Nahid Islam, she said and added that the advisers would supervise the investigation.

‘Yes, of course, the government will investigate,’ Murshid said as the reporters drew her attention about the government’s step over the bribery allegation involving the senior secretary.

She said that two things – the authenticity of the clippings over the bribery, widely circulated on social media, and the issue of manipulation or using artificial intelligence in generating such clippings – should be considered during the investigation.

‘The cabinet discussed the issues, and we are looking into the technical accuracy of the information shared,’ she said.

She further said, ‘It must be investigated promptly, and we will ensure that.’

Expressing her concern, the adviser said, ‘It’s troubling to hear such words about a high-ranking official. Naturally, we are concerned about this. We need to investigate the reasons for surfacing the allegations of bribery…We are no longer in the analog age, which adds to our challenges. We cannot simply accept everything that appears on social media as true. We must verify it.’

Mokhlesur, however, dismissed the allegation of bribery relating to DC appointment.

He claimed that the allegation was ‘baseless’ and termed a recent article published in a national daily in this connection as ‘fake’.

When reporters drew his attention at the secretariat about the screenshots showing his alleged involvement in the conversation on the transaction of money, he said, ‘The screenshot photos published in the report show an iPhone interface but I use a Samsung phone.’

‘Ask them who provided this so-called evidence. I have no idea about the dialogue shown in the report. If I speak less on this, it will be better,’ he said.

‘I came from a middle-class family and don’t even use the phone given by the government. Those who know me are aware that I have been using the same number officially for years,’ he added.

When asked whether he would resign in the context of the allegations, he said, ‘If you ask this question for a sensational news story, you can go ahead. You have worked with me long enough to know there is not a shred of truth in this. Before asking such questions, ask yourself whether it is reasonable.’