Rehennuma Tarannum:

Despite allegations of widespread corruption and irregularities, questions have been raised among the contractors and public over the strength of the pole of the Executive Engineer Mahmudul Hasan, who has been working at the Public Works Department (PWD) in Sirajganj for more than three years.

Question has also risen over the role of higher authorities as they did not take any action against the officer even after publishing several news-reports on different newspapers.

According to the allegations, Mahmudul Hasan formed a powerful syndicate with some identified contractors from the Public Works Department soon after joining in Sirajganj in 2023.

There are allegations that, Mahmudul Hasan has grabbed crores of taka from the government funds by allotting projects in the name of some chosen contracting firms of Dhaka and Khulna. As a result, local contractors are being deprived of their fair rights causing intense anger.

There is an allegation that, the work of a tender, which was invited for installing a deep tube-well at the district prison in Sirajganj, was given to Tangail based ‘Bithi Construction’ owned by the brother of a former minister of the ousted Awami League government in exchange of a hefty commission. Irregularity allegation has been intensified here over the tender process.

In the current fiscal year, 37 RFQs (Request for Quotation) has been issued breaking the allocations of about Tk 1.25 crore ignoring the rules in the overall annual procurement plan (ACP) on the plea of implementing the works in a rapid pace.

Several RFQs have already been invited and the work has been shown to be completed at a rapid pace, causing widespread anger among local contractors.

The biggest irregularities have emerged in the case of an organization known as ‘SA Enterprises’ owned by a resident of Tungipara in Gopalganj and a former leader of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). Like the last two fiscal years, this one organization has been awarded with several profitable works worth about Tk 1.25 crore in the current fiscal year as well.

Notable among them are:

a) Construction of substation building and supply of equipments at the Sirajganj Medical College and Hospital (previously known as Shaheed Mansur Ali Medical College and Hospital) involving at about Tk 65 lakh.

b) Repair of tiles and railings in block-A of the DC office involving at about Tk 11.61 lakh.

c) Installation of tiles on the stairs of block-B of the same office and renovation of the roof involving at about Tk 9. 84 lakh.

d) Renovation work of Block-C involving at about Tk 19.61 lakh.

e) Repair of residential building of district jail involving at about Tk 13.6 lakh.

The concerned people alleged that, even though the license of SA Enterprise is being used here, the executive engineer himself is carrying the works from behind the scenes. Earlier, when he was a staff officer of Dhaka Public Works Division (PWD)-1, his promotion was suspended for a long time on charge of providing works numbering around 100 to an identified and controversial contracting firm.

After getting posting in Sirajganj in November 2023 on the blessing of political lobbying, Mahmudul formed a syndicate of corruption and irregularities around the Sirajganj PWD office and then started working amid massive irregularities. He established solo supremacy of corruption at his office ignoring other officials, insiders complained.

Insiders further alleged that, the executive engineer has pocketed about Tk 3 crore in the name of so-called ‘June Closing’ in the current FY by submitting fake bills and vouchers.

Seeking anonymity, some contractors said, a Dhaka based politically influential contracting firm known as ‘Babar Associates’ has been awarded with the construction work of the 3rd floor of the arsenal building at the District Ansar and VDP office involving about Tk 65.20 lakh in the current FY. The work was provided him through irregularities.

Besides this, there are allegations of tender manipulations around the works of DIG Office Building Construction and Strengthening Project for the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), repairing of Deputy Commissioner’s record room and Raiganj circle SP’s office cum resident building.

Through tender manipulation and irregularities, these works were awarded to HB Traders Limited, Pacific Engineers, and M/s Purbanchal Trade, respectively.

As there has been raised fraudulent allegation over the bidding process of these works, the user organizations have also questioned the quality of the work. They urged fair and transparent investigation over the allegations.

It is alleged that Sub-Divisional Engineer (SDE) Kalyan Kumar Kundu and Mizanur Rahman Akon closely assist the executive engineer to continue massive irregularity and plundering activities.

Mahmudul Hasan did not respond, when this journalist made several calls and sent SMS for his comment.