Over the course of 12 years, 83 thousand crore rupees were spent building road. 15 companies got work. Blessings were from Kader, Sheikh Salim, Sheikh Helal, Tariq Siddique.
National Development Engineers (NDE) is a wonder in road contracting. The company started working on the road in late 2017. In just six years, they have individually and jointly won contracts worth 8.5 billion rupees on roads, which is 10 percent of the total work.
On the condition of anonymity, seven concerned officials from the Directorate of Roads and Public Ways (SOAZ) told Prothom Alo that NDE used to exercise influence through Awami League Government Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader to get the contract work. Obaidul Quader informed the officials that Tariq Ahmed Siddique, former military adviser of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was behind the organisation.
An analysis of Souze’s contracting work data for a period from 2011-12 to 2023-24 shows that 15 organizations such as NDE received 90 percent of the total work in terms of spending. In one era, the government has spent more than 83 thousand crore rupees on the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges. Out of which 75 thousand crores of work was received by those 15 contractors individually and jointly.
Professor Samchul Haque of Civil Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) told Prothom Alo that contractors used to keep ministers, parliamentarians and leaders in the hands of getting contract work, withdrawing money for low-quality work and collecting extra bills by pretending to do more work. It became an ‘open secret’ during the previous government. It was an epidemic of corruption.
Souze has over 1,100 registered contractors; nonetheless, doubts have been raised as to how only 15 contracting firms received 90% of the job. Souz engineers claim that these contractors had the ‘approval’ of former Awami League government ministers and lawmakers. However, several contractors claim that, with the leaders’ approval, they were required to pay ‘commissions’ to Ministry and Soaz officials. The assets of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) officers will be examined to determine their unlawful income.
The 15 contractors who got the most work are Hasan Techno Builders, Rana Builders, NDE, Mozahar Enterprises, Md. Moinuddin (Flute) Limited, Taher Brothers, Mohammad Aminul Haque Limited, Masood Hitech Engineers, Spectra Engineers, M/S Saleh Ahmed, MM Builders & Engineers, Reliable Builders, Tama Construction, Mahfuz Khan Limited and Abed Mansoor Construction.
From the beginning of this year to September, 45 companies were blacklisted for six months to two years after exposure of fraud and irregularities in obtaining work. Of these, the top 13 were contracting firms (excluding Spectra and MM Builders).
Souz sources say that during the 15 and a half year rule of Awami League, three parties controlled the road contracting work: 1. Some influential leaders of Awami League are members of Parliament. 2. Relatives and close friends of former road minister Obaidul Quader and 3. Some of Souz’s engineers. After Obaidul Quader became the road minister in 2011, the circle of former Feni MP Nizam Uddin Hazari, Obaidul Quader’s brother Abdul Quader Mirza, Obaidul Quader’s wife Ishratunnessa Quader and Noakhali former MP Ekramul Karim Chowdhury was formed.
In 2021, Quader Mirza publicly spoke out against his brother, sister-in-law and Ekram Chowdhury. Sources close to the former road minister say that Obaidul Quader and his wife had a dispute with Quader Mirza over the division of the contract work. Later, however, the animosity between the two brothers was removed. Quader Mirza became silent after getting the opportunity to lobby again in the ministry and the society and contract work.
Fawzul Kabir Khan, the advisor in charge of the Ministry of Roads, told Prathom Alo that in fact, during the previous government’s tenure, it was decided before who would be given the job. Then the formalities of calling the tenders were done. He said, it will not work anymore. Legal and institutional reforms will be made to increase competition. He is also considering a comprehensive probe into past irregularities and corruption.
Source : Prothom Alo