The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The Anti-Corruption Commission unearthed gross corruption and irregularities in two road projects implemented by the Roads and Highways department, as the anti-graft watchdog now continued prying into institutional misdeeds.

A special ACC team constituted to look into corruption in the Roads and Highways department has so far found out about Tk 29 crore having been misappropriated in two projects, where roads looked ruptured in no time after their construction.

ACC director general (admin) Col Hanif Iqbal revealed this in the Commission's regular press briefing yesterday afternoon.

The projects are Bonpara-Hatikamrul toll road on the Jamuna Bridge highway in the northwestern region of the country and Dhaka Bypass Road under Gazipur, Dhaka and Narayanganj districts.

The 55-kilometre-long Bonpara-Hatikamrul road was constructed over December 1, 1998 to December 31, 2002 at a cost of Tk 310.24 crore. The World Bank financed the construction of the road intended to ease road communications to greater Rajshahi and Kushthia districts crossing over the multipurpose bridge over the mighty river Jamuna that had cut Bangladesh into two for time immemorial.

The ACC special team came to know from media that within 2-3 years after the construction, there were cracks in different places and carpeting disintegrated, putting passengers' life at risk. "At present, the road is unsuitable for traffic," it is reported.

During the investigation, it was unveiled that construction materials were not used as per the specifications and low-quality materials used instead.

"Instead of sand available through dredging, local earth was used in construction. But, the contractors received the price of sand, resulting in misappropriation," according to the probe finding, which came in the changed context, now that a purge has been underway across the country in the interim period.

The special team so far has discovered that contractors and supervising individuals in connivance with each other have misappropriated about Tk 25 crore.

Upon completion of the investigation by the team, actual amount of money and involved persons would be detected and initiative would be taken for legal actions against those involved in corruption and irregularities, the journalists were told.

About Dhaka Bypass Road, the 48-kilometre project covering Gazipur, Dhaka and Narayanganj districts, was implemented over 1997-2006 at a cost of Tk 290 crore. The road was intended to ease nagging traffic congestion in the capital.

Within few days of completion of the road, it developed big cracks in different places and the carpeting disappeared in many places. And, currently the road has become suitable for traffic while the city commuters sweat being caught in snarl-ups.

Like the Bonpara-Hatirkumrul road, the special ACC team has unraveled that the road was not constructed following the specifications and low-quality construction materials were used.

It was found that the Public Procurement Regulation Act was not properly followed in constructing the road.

The team has so far estimated that the contractors in connivance with the Roads and Highways officials have misappropriated about Tk 4 crore.

After completion of their investigations, the ACC special team would be in a position to determine specifically as to how much money has been misappropriated and to identify those involved in the malpractice.

Responding to a question, Col Hanif Iqbal told the briefing that, hopefully, cases would be filed "very soon" against those involved in the wrongdoing.

He also said it would be worked out as to how specifically separate cases would be filed.

Asked if any minister of that period was involved, Hanif said, "I would not name any names at this stage. Names will come out after the completion of the investigation."

In reply to a query, he said where necessary, the special ACC probe team used neutral specialists to carry out their investigations.