PM orders re-tender to procure 10 dredgers, auxiliary vessels
Hasina wondered how the proposal was made to award the Tk 940cr project to
the lone participant of an intl tender
ANISUR RAHMAN KHAN
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the shipping ministry to go in for a re-tender of the procurement of 10 dredgers following the whiff of corruption, it has been learnt.
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) had invited international tenders to procure 10 dredgers and other auxiliary vessels at a cost of Tk. 940 crore on March 10 last year, following which a single company had submitted the tender, sources said.
Later, the BIWTA had submitted the proposal to the shipping ministry for the PMs approval. But on seeing that only a single company had taken part in the tender, Hasina expressed wonder and asked the ministry to go in for a re-tender, after cancelling the previous tender.
Sources in several quarters wondered how the BIWTA and the shipping ministry sent the proposal to the PMs approval in favour of a certain company when a huge amount was involved in the procurement.
The sources asked why, despite there being many dredger manufacturing companies, both local and international, a single company could submit a tender without others participating in such a massive procurement.
Some officials, both in the BIWTA and the shipping ministry, thanked the Prime Minister for her timely decision to re-tender the procurement of the dredgers.
Earlier, some lawmakers of the parliamentary standing committee on the shipping ministry had raised questions as to how the same company always got work orders to construct dredgers, BIWTA sources said.
The authorities have engaged military experts of the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) to ensure the quality of the dredgers.
However, the BIWTA floated a re-tender on September 13 to procure 10 dredgers, 72 auxiliary vessels and other equipment at a cost of Tk. 940 crore.
A total of four companies, including an international company, has submitted tenders, sources said, adding that the local companies were: Karnaphuli Ship Builders, Khulna Shipyard and Ananda Builders Ltd. The UAE-based APT Marine Services Ltd, too, has submitted a tender, the source added.
Only Karnaphuli Ship Builders had submitted the tender last year to build the 10 dredgers, sources said.
We will send the proposal to the PM for approval after evaluation. Later, we will send it to the purchase committee for approval, BIWTA chairman Commodore M Mozammel Huq told The Independent.
When asked why dredgers were procured earlier without ensuring quality, he replied, Military officials of MIST have been engaged to ensure the quality of the dredgers.
I was present at the parliamentary standing committee meeting. It is true that the Prime Minister refused to give approval after seeing a single company had dropped the tender to procure 10 dredgers. She asked for a re-tender. Four companies have submitted tenders this time, the BIWTA chairman said.
Earlier, the government decided to procure 20 dredgers for the BIWTA to dredge the countrys rivers to enhance their navigability.
As part of the procurement of dredgers, Karnaphuli Ship Builders has already received a work order to construct 10 dredgers at a cost of Tk. 770 crore.
According to the BIWTA, it now has a total of 21 dredgers in its fleet. Besides, four new 8-inch amphibian dredgers have already been procured, which would be used to clean canals and narrow river routes.
Seven old dredgers, which were procured during Bangabandhus regime, were still performing very well compared to the new dredgers procured in recent times, the BIWTA sources said.
According to the sources, these dredgers have also been used for emergency purposes, but the new dredgers have failed to meet the purpose during emergencies.
