Sarker Shariful Islam, Rajshahi
Leaders of Tender syndicates in Rajshahi are worried after starting of the crackdown against illegal activities of Jubo League leaders in Dhaka. Many of active leaders of the tender syndicates and their cohorts in Rajshahi are no more seen in public for last four days.
According to sources, these tender syndicate leaders have become owners of billions of Taka through tender manipulation during last 10-year. Once having a little asset, now those tender syndicate leaders own many multi-storied building, land and large business establishments. Though personal chambers of these tender syndicate leaders used to remain full of people throughout the day and night, no one is seen to visit there after September-17.
It is learnt, the Headquarters of West Zone Railway in Rajshahi is a huge organisation (department) for tender manipulation. Tenders of hundreds of crores of development works are regularly floated from this department.
Owners of some contractual farms and some officials of Bangladesh Railway, Rajshahi, informed one influential Awami League leader in contact with another top ranking Jubo League leader and the nephew of the AL leader were engaged in manipulation of hundreds of crore taka worth tenders of railway for last 10-year. Another mid-ranking Awami League Leaders' syndicate was also engaged with the tender manipulation with the said syndicates.
It is alleged, not a single tender work of railway was offered to any contractors except the said syndicates during last 10-year. These tender syndicate members used to determine to whom the works for the tender would be offered as against 12 to 15 percent of commission of the amount mentioned in the tender.
There is allegations that a former Chief Engineer and another former Director General of Railawy pocketed crores of Taka through helping directly or indirectly to those tender syndicates. The brother-in-law of a former DG of railway was also a beneficiary from the syndicates, it is learnt.
Some officials of Railway in Rajshahi informed, due to unabated tender manipulation and relentless corruption in offering tenders, the government incurred a huge loss in railway sector and the works done in various sections of railway through those tender-holder contractors were the lowest in quality.
On the other hand, the same tender syndicates of the city were plundering crores of taka by controlling all tender works of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and the office of Civil Surgeon, Rajshahi.
Using three drug licenses of local drug traders and some licenses of Drug stores of Dhaka the same syndicates were controlling unilaterally tenders of crores of taka of RMCH and the Civil Surgeon office. The same syndicates grabbed a tender amounting Taka 30 (30o million) crore recently. There is allegation of showing to purchase medical product worth Taka 100 for Taka 100,000 (one Lakh) by the same syndicates. A number of dishonest officials of RMCH and the Civil Surgeon office are also learnt to involve with the malpractice.
Some contractors informed, three syndicates of Awami League and Jubo League were controlling tenders of the said offices. None of the contractors can get any work without paying those syndicates of five to 10 percent commission of the amount of works mentioned at the tenders.
Meanwhile, a Jubodal leader and accused in the murder case of Professor Shafiul Islam Lenin of the department of Sociology of Rajshahi University was learnt to control all tenders of Rajshahi University and the Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology.
AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, President of Rajshahi city unit of AL and Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation in this connection said there was no existence of tender manipulation at RCC. He further said, party will take no responsibility of immoral activities of the dishonest leaders and those engaged in tender manipulation in some offices including in the railway. He welcomed the action against the corrupts and the zero tolerance against corruption initiated by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
