Badiuzzaman Tuhin, Noakhali

Widespread irregularities in the construction of Noakhali District Modern Information Complex building by showing false documents by an Awami League leader alleged.

An Awami League syndicate, in collusion with officials of the local Public Works Department, got the work worth about Tk 15 crore in 2023 with fake certificates.

Now, it has been alleged that they are doing the work irresponsibly by using low-quality materials through influential people.

After investigation, it was learnt that the Public Works Department invited tenders on August 30, 2023 for the construction of the district's modern complex (Tender ID-866064). Later, without properly verifying the documents submitted by the contractor, the officials gave the work order to the jointly owned Mustafa Consortium on October 2 of that year at a 10 percent lower price of Tk 13 crore 38 lakh 49 thousand 615. Investigation revealed that Messrs. Al-Amin Enterprise and Messrs. Shamshun Nahar Construction, along with Messrs. Mostafa & Sons, shared the work. But all 12 work completion certificates submitted by these two companies were proven to be fake.

The then Executive Engineer of the Noakhali Public Works Department (currently working in Bahmanbaria district) Sa'd Mohammad Andalib and Sub-Divisional Engineer (SDE) Md. Emdadul Haque Miah were alleged to be involved in this incident. It is learnt that the owner of Messrs. Al-Amin Enterprise, Golam Mortuza Munna, who is in charge of the construction of the information building, is close to former MP of Noakhali-4 (Sadar-Subarnachar) constituency and former general secretary of the district Awami League, Ekramul Karim Chowdhury, and the owner of Messrs. Samsun Nahar Construction, Lutful Lahil Majid Russell, is close to former MP of Noakhali-3 (Begumganj) constituency and general secretary of the Begumganj Upazila Awami League, Mamunur Rashid Kiran. Golam Mortuza Munna is an accused in the attack-explosive case (No. 27) filed at Sudharam Model Police Station on September 18. Meanwhile, evidence of cheating by contractors to get the tender for the district modern complex has been found. The contractor, M/s Al-Amin Enterprise, submitted seven fake certificates of work performance, claiming to have done work worth Tk 21.24 crore 76 thousand 251 in various institutions in four fiscal years under the license of the company. The certificate dated April 17, 2019, shows work worth Tk 1 crore 89 lakh 50 thousand 120 for the 2018-19 fiscal year of Bangladesh Tourism Corporation, while the certificate dated May 15 of the same year shows work worth Tk 38 lakh 51 thousand 22 for the 2018-19 fiscal year of Chaumuhani Municipality. In addition, in the certificate dated August 18, 2020, the work of the Begumganj Upazila Engineer's Office for the fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19 was submitted for Tk 1 crore 62 lakh 28 thousand 43, in the certificate dated December 18 of the same year, the work of Noakhali Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College (now Noakhali Medical College) for the fiscal year 2020-21 was submitted for Tk 8 crore 8 lakh 95 thousand 740, in the certificate dated June 8, 2021, the work of Chaumuhani Municipality for the fiscal year 2020-21 was submitted for Tk 69 lakh 99 thousand 322, in the certificate dated September 23 of the same year, the work of Chaumuhani Municipality for the fiscal year 2014-15 was submitted for Tk 6 crore 93 lakh 99 thousand 532, and in the certificate dated September 5, 2022, the work of Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College for the fiscal year 2021-22 was submitted for Tk 1 crore 61 lakh 52 thousand 472. On the other hand, five fake certificates of work worth Tk 549.759 crore were submitted to various institutions in three fiscal years under the license of Awami League leader Lutful Lahil Majid Russell's M/s Samshun Nahar Construction.

In the certificate dated July 5, 2020, a fake certificate was submitted for the work of Chaumuhani Municipality worth Tk 1 crore 95 lakh 58 thousand 979 in the fiscal year 2018-19, on July 6 of the same year, a fake certificate was submitted for the work of Chaumuhani Municipality worth Tk 16 crore 1 lakh 14 thousand 196.16 in the fiscal year 2014-15, in another certificate dated the same date, a fake certificate was submitted for the work of Chaumuhani Municipality worth Tk 12 crore 1 lakh 40 thousand 392.61 in the fiscal year 2014-15, in the certificate dated November 16 of that year, a fake certificate was submitted for the work of Chaumuhani Municipality worth Tk 12 crore 11 lakh 36 thousand 500 in the fiscal year 2018-19, and in the certificate dated November 9, 2022, a fake certificate was submitted for the work of Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College worth Tk 12 crore 88 lakh 9 thousand 204 in the fiscal year 2021-22. The certificates received by Bangladeshi newspapers show that the Bangladesh Tourism Corporation certificate submitted by Al-Amin Enterprise has numerous errors in the pad and writing. In addition, the certificate submitted by Samshun Nahar Construction on July 5, 2020, has the signature of the official on January 16 of that year and the certificate dated July 6, 2020, has the signature on June 28 of the previous month. On the other hand, Bangladesh Tourism Corporation Manager (Construction) Nazrul Islam, Noakhali Medical College (formerly Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College) Principal Professor Dr. Uzire Azam Khan, former Begumganj Upazila Engineer Hafizul Haque and Executive Engineer of Chaumuhani Municipality Mozammel Haque have confirmed that the submitted certificates are fake and incorrect. Noakhali Medical College Principal Professor Dr. Md. Wazir Azam Khan told Manabzamin, "The medical college records regarding the certificates submitted by the contractor were not found to be true." Mozammel Haque, executive engineer of Chaumuhani Municipality, told Bangladesh Newspaper, "The certificates were not found to be correct after verifying the records of the municipality. The matter has been reported to the concerned department."

Meanwhile, in the information building under construction, it can be seen that the construction period of the building expired on December 2 last year. But despite the collection of about three crore taka bills so far, there has been no significant progress in the work. After the expiration of the period, the roof of the first floor of the building was cast in the last week of December. That too, bamboo centering was used instead of steel centering, contrary to the rules of public works. NGS in the construction work.