Graft looms large on PMs priority project
ANISUR RAHMAN KHAN
The Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) is allegedly trying to resort to direct procurement method (DPM) instead of open tender method (OTM) for earth-filling work to develop an industrial park in Sirajganj sadar upazila, one of the Prime Ministers priority projects, even after the tender process is over, sources in BSCIC said. The BSCIC had undertaken the five-year project in 2010 to develop the park at a cost of Tk 378.92-crore, and later, the project was revised twice before the cost rose to Tk 628.10 crore, the sources said.
BSCIC invited tenders on January 29 last year for the earth-filling work, worth Tk 157 crore, in Sirajganj. A total of 12 organisations submitted their tender documents for the work in three lots. It has been alleged that BSCIC Chairman Mustak Hasan Md Iftekhar, in collusion with a section of officials, is trying to cancel the tender process after failing to give the work to a non-responsive company.
According to the sources, the BSCIC chairman, who is also the chairman of the tender evaluation committee, has been trying to give the work to that firm by ignoring the lowest bidder.
The BSCIC chairman is now trying to cancel the total tender process. He has also sent a letter to the industries ministry to go for the DPM by cancelling the existing tendering process so that the incompetent company can be awarded the work, a BSCIC source preferring anonymity told this correspondent.
The source further alleged that the BSCIC chairman and some engineers were bribed by that company. According to sources, some members of the tender evaluation committee gave a note of dissent against the chairmans proposal.
IH-ADL JV, MR Cons Uday Builders JV, Ataur Rahman, MM Builders Eng, Pubali-STC JV, S Alam Cons.-Bhuyan JV, AML, NZK-WEL JV, TBL HCPL, Nahia Enterprise. Jamil Iqbal, JB Dredger Ltd and ACL-RP JV had submitted their tender documents, BSCIC sources said. The tender evaluation committee held eight meetings between March and May (March 8, 16, 22 and 29; April 6, and 12; and May 4 and 8) in 2017 to finalise the tender process to give the work order, the sources added.
Failing to contact over phone, this correspondent visited the office of the BSCIC chairman at Motijheel, but he declined to talk and informed this correspondent through AGM Sakayetul Bari to contact project director MD Abdul Mannan.
When contacted, Mannan, also director of the BSCIC industrial park, said. Its true that some members of the evaluation committee have given a note of dissent. I dont know anything about the chairmans involvement in the alleged corruption. He would be able to tell you the details.
He, however, admitted that a letter had been sent to the industries ministry regarding further action on the tender whether the tender process will continue or it will be brought under DPM. The government undertook the project to develop 820 industrial plots on 400 acres to boost the rural economy, especially in the northern region, in 2010. A total of 570 export-oriented, indigenous and import substitute industrial units are to be established at the park.
As per the original plan, the industrial park was to be completed by 2015. Later, it was extended to 2016. Recently, the deadline has again been extended to 2019. The bid price submitted by IH-ADL JV was Tk 525,794,098, MR Cons. Uday Builders JV offered Tk 525,794,108, Ataur Rahman offered Tk 525,794,464, MM Builders Eng offered Tk 525, 805,131, Pubali-STC JVs bid price was Tk 541,288,520, S Alam Cons. Bhuyan JV offered Tk 582, 878,940, AML offered Tk 585,124,536 and the bid price of NZK-WEL JV was Tk 525,793,456 for lots 1, 2 and 3 each.
However, the NZK-WEL JV, TBL HCPL, Nahia Ent. Jamil Iqbal, JB Dredger Ltd and ACL-RP JV offers were declared non-responsive by the technical evaluation committee, the sources said. The five bidders were declared non-responsive as they failed to fulfill the tender requirements, the sources said.
