TDS Desk:

In a move that blatantly disregards all established rules and procedures, former Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) Mayor Jayeda Khatun hired a security service company linked to her son without any tender or even a formal work order.

The company – Safeguard Security Services – boasts a notable connection: its chief adviser is Jahangir Alam, former Mayor Jayeda’s son and adviser. Jahangir himself is a former mayor of the city corporation.

The firm, which was employed through verbal order, is now seeking Tk43,57,852 as bills for around four and half months of services rendered to the city corporation despite the lack of a formal contract.

Its Chairman Saifullah Khan, a close associate of Jahangir and other Awami League leaders, has recently written a letter to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives asking the bills for its service.

According to the letter obtained by the Daily Sun, security guards of the company provided services to the city corporation from on 2 May to on 9 September following ‘verbal order’ of former Mayor Jayeda Khatun.

It claimed that the security guards were employed at the GCC headquarters and Tongi and Board Bazar zonal offices.

However, the GCC officials now said they could not pay the bill to the company for the lack of a proper work order, which outlines the number of employees, their positions, salaries and terms of employment.

THEY SAID IT IS NOW IMPOSSIBLE TO VERIFY THE COMPANY’S CLAIMS AND PROCESS THE PAYMENT.

The GCC officials also alleged that a leader of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which spearheaded the recent mass uprising leading to the fall of the fascist AL regime, is putting pressure on them to pay the bills.

MEANWHILE, THE GCC FORMED A COMMITTEE TO DETERMINE THE COURSE OF ACTION.

Wishing anonymity, a member of the committee said, “The company has demanded payment for services though it was not given any work order. We’re unable to determine the actual number of workers deployed, their posts and terms and conditions.”

He also said, “We saw in CCTV footage that some workers of the company were deployed in the GCC offices. But how could we fix their number? They demanded salaries up to September but we didn’t see them after 5 August.”

Safeguard Security Chairman Saifullah Khan said, “I’ve talked to LGRD and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain. He’ll make an arrangement to pay the bills. We haven’t received any penny from the city corporation but I’ve paid the salary for the guards.”

When asked about the bill, GCC Chief Executive Officer ASM Safiul Azam said, “I don’t know about the employment. Please, talk to the administrator.”

GCC Administrator Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury said, “There’s no way to make the payment in the absence of proper documentation. We only noticed that some guards were deployed but we have doubts over the number the company is claiming. We can’t dispose of the issue. We’ll inform the LGRD Ministry of it.”

AKM Fazlul Karim, founding director general of the Central Procurement Technical Unit and procurement expert, said, “There’s no space for verbal order in public procurement and payment with sans documents. Whenever you purchase a service, you must have tender documents, work order and agreement papers. You can’t call your relative and give them a contract without any paper.”

He also said, “The company should not be paid; rather the mayor and officials behind the illegal deal should be brought under legal action.”