Tangail Correspondent:

Serious allegations of corruption, implementation of phantom projects, and financial embezzlement have surfaced against Tangail Municipality officials and contractors over a Tk 63 lakh development project initiated for the visit of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

According to municipality sources and local residents, a large portion of the work was either left completely undone or executed superficially, yet final bills were disbursed in full through collusion between municipality engineers and favored contracting firms.

The municipal authority allocated nearly Tk 63 lakh from its revenue fund on April 4, just ten days ahead of the Prime Minister’s scheduled arrival on April 14 (Pohela Boishakh). The budget covered multiple emergency works across the city, including road carpeting, road marking, and brick soling at the Pourashava Udyan.

However, an investigation into the municipality’s records, work orders, and bill vouchers reveals widespread procedural irregularities:

Unperformed Carpeting: An allocation of Tk 15.65 lakh was assigned to contractor NB Enterprise without any open tender process for carpeting work along the District Sadar Road, Advocate Bar Association, Helipad, and Deula Kalibari Road. On-site inspections confirmed that no carpeting took place on Deula Kalibari Road, yet the full bill was withdrawn.

Removal of Materials & Minimal Work: A separate Tk 20.32 lakh package given to M/s Rupa Enterprise included brick soling at Pourashava Udyan, CC casting near the RAB office, and carpeting on Club Road. Locals alleged that the bricks laid at the municipal park were pulled up and sold off immediately after the Prime Minister departed, while old roads received only a superficial layer of bitumen.

Ghost Road Markings: A project worth Tk 7.08 lakh awarded to Momin & Jassim Enterprise for road marking from Defodil Intersection to District Sadar Road and Shahin School remained incomplete at the time of the visit, with minor markings drawn months later in August.

Municipal documents show that key approvals, measurement certificates, and final bill clearances were signed off by तत्कालीन Tangail Pourashava Administrator Sanjoy Kumar Mahanta, Chief Executive Officer Md. Anisur Rahman, Executive Engineer Md. Shahjahan Ali, Assistant Engineer Monirul Islam, and Sub-Assistant Engineer Shamim Al Mamun.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, several municipality employees revealed that contractor selections were finalized informally at the office of an influential local political figure rather than through standard procurement procedures. Out of the total fund, Tk 43 lakh went to road infrastructure, while around Tk 20 lakh was allocated for painting walls at Shamsul Haque Torun, Bindubasini Government Boys’ High School, and the Rifles Club.

Refuting the allegations, Assistant Engineer Monirul Islam maintained that all projects were completed per official standards before payments were processed. “No irregularities took place during the execution of these works,” he stated.

Repeated attempts to reach Tangail Pourashava Chief Executive Officer Md. Anisur Rahman via phone for comments went unanswered.

Local residents and civic groups have demanded an independent investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and strict action against the officials and contractors involved in misappropriating public funds under the guise of the Prime Minister’s visit.