Data Edge Limited, a contractor involved in MRP project, has differed with a portion of a news report published in The Independent on November 4, headlined ‘Irregularities galore in MRP Project’. Their rejoinder is as follows:  “The accusations mentioned in the report against Data Edge Limited and its two directors -- Syed Ahsan Habib and Noor A Alam Chowdhury -- are absolutely false, baseless and fabricated.”
Referring to the news report’s mention of a directive of the PMO to take action against Data Edge directors, the company, in its rejoinder, says, “We are not aware of any such directives from the Prime Minister’s Office nor did we get any such impression from our regular interactions with the project office or the (home) ministry.”
Our reply: We stand by our report as it was mentioned there that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) asked the home ministry, through a -- letter signed by its director Farid Ahmed, to take stern action against the two Data Edge directors for different irregularities and corruption.
In a meeting held at the home ministry, its additional secretary Md Mostafa kamal Uddin on November 11 last year asked Data Edge to refund the additional amount of money (taking double bills) to national treasury. As per the meeting’s decision, the data edge authorities have paid one bill recently. Talking to The Independent yesterday, Data Edge Director Noor A Alam Chowdhury also said they have already resolved all issues as per the home ministry directive. He also claimed that they have an outstanding amount of about Tk 50 crore from the passport authorities although they have completed all the tasks as per the contract.