A forest department official posted at Maudubi Union in Rangabali upazila of Patuakhali allegedly left his workplace secretly after taking bribes in exchange for issuing permits required for fishing in rivers connected to the Bay of Bengal.

The acting beat officer, Soyeb Khan, had promised the alleged victims that he would return their money before leaving his post. Prothom Alo obtained an audio recording related to the matter.

In a 20-minute and 24-second audio clip, the accused official can be heard talking with several alleged victims. Jahir Uddin, the official who had recently joined the same post, was also present during the conversation.