Obaydul Islam Robi, Rajshahi

Abnormal pricing in procurement in various projects of Rajshahi Barendra Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) through quotations alleged.

Project Managers (PDs) in collusion with supplier organizations get their commissions by paying exorbitant prices. In addition, in many cases, there have been complaints of embezzlement of huge amounts of money by showing purchases only on paper without understanding the goods. In the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24, the directors and executive engineers in charge of various projects of BMDA have made purchases of Tk 58 lakh 51 thousand 386 only through quotation circulars.

It is learnt through the document sources that Shahidur Rahman, Director of EIECD project of BMDA, issued a quotation notice on June 19 last year.

A company called Comdex Information Technology provides a UPS for 6 thousand taka, pen drive for 2.5 thousand taka, RAM for 3 thousand 600 taka and CPU casing for 3.5 thousand taka and other accessories.

On the other hand, each envelope of 01 taka was bought at 9 taka, envelope of 3 taka at 13 taka. The price of 128 GB pen drive in the market is 1000 taka but it was bought for 2000 taka. The price of UPS is Rs 3,300 and Rs 6,000 and the wall fan of Rs 3,000 is Rs 9,000. According to the online market check, it has been found that the price of the UPS is actually 3 thousand 390 taka, the price of the casing is 2 thousand 300 taka and the price of the 128 GB pen drive is only 1 thousand taka. PD fixed these prices in the quotation.

PD Shahidur Rahman bought a UPS worth Tk 3,390 for Tk 6,000. Rafiqul Islam, PD ATM of HVCP project, bought the same UPS for 4 thousand 900 taka through another quotation. On November 10, 2022, PD Rafiqul also bought a HP Corei-3 processor laptop for Tk 69,850 from an organization named Chartered Computer. Its price in the market is not more than 60 thousand. This PD bought 250 pieces of caps from a company named Syme Products at the price of Tk. 129. Actually the price of these caps is not more than 50 rupees.

Incidentally, Irrigation Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project PD Noor Islam bought furniture worth Tk 4 lakh 96 thousand 305 from Navana Furniture on 22 December 2022 through quotation. Apart from this, on November 22 last year, Bismillah bought jeep parts from Metro Automobiles at a quotation of Tk 2 lakh 65 thousand 70. This PD purchased computer equipment worth Tk 4 lakh 41 thousand 430 on October 17 last year through quotation from Comdex Information Technology.

Another project director, Nazirul Islam, bought three photocopy machines worth Tk 85,000 from Chartered Computer on June 19 last year for Tk 1,19,945 each. In this case, an additional bill of Tk 1 lakh 4 thousand 835 has been paid for three photocopy machines.

On March 21 of this year, he gave a work order to an organization of Chapainawabganj named City Computer to supply goods worth Tk 14 lakh 12 thousand 500. BMDA's HVC Project PD Salim Kabir did not mention any product model in the bill of supply submitted by the company on April 2.

PD Salim Kabir bought manuals, notebooks, office files and envelopes at a quotation of Tk 4 lakh 95 thousand 350 from a contractor named Delight in Dhaka. Small khaki colored envelopes available in the market for 1 taka, he bought those envelopes at 9 taka each. And four size envelopes worth 3 taka were bought at the rate of 13 taka each. In another quotation notification on November 22 of last year, Mintu Enterprises bought goods worth 3 lakh 14 thousand rupees from a contractor. A wall fan worth Tk 3,000 is bought at Tk 9,900.

When asked about this unusual price, PD Salim Kabir said, 'We buy good products of all brands. They have quality. That's why the price is a little higher. After hearing the difference between the market price and the paid price of various products purchased by PD Noor Islam, he said, 'We bought at this price. You come to the office. I will talk about this in the meeting. As PD Shahidur Rahman did not pick up the phone, his statement regarding the complaint was not available.

Masud Alam, the owner of City Computer in Chapainawabganj, a company that supplies goods at an unusual price of Tk 14 lakh, 12 thousand 500, said that he cannot tell the price of any item without seeing the ledger. He did not respond when contacted again later. A contractor who supplies goods through regular quotations to BMDA said, on condition of anonymity, that suppliers are asked to over-bill. At the time of withdrawing the bill, the expenses have to be paid again at different places.

Trying to see as much as possible, all kinds of products are bought in the market. Expressed some helplessness in the question of PDs. Abdur Rashid, executive director of BMDA, said that if there are errors in the purchase, it will be seen as a loss.