| Magura BNP extorts Tk 15cr thru' tender scam in 5 yrs Party bigwigs face wrath of grass-roots activists for corruption Courtesy Daily Star 28/7/08 Grass-roots level activists of Magura BNP have formally raised their voices against alleged misdeeds by district leaders during the 4-party alliance rule.
They bitterly crticised the then district leadership for tender manipulation during the five years and amassing wealth at the cost of the party.
At a special meeting Saturday evening, many of the grass-roots leaders and activists alleged that during the alliance rule, front ranking leaders had formed a syndicate styled 'negotiation committee' that manipulated tenders in different government departments, which seriously tarnished the image of BNP.
According to them, some district leaders amassed several crores of taka through tender manipulation, but the party is now facing serious financial crisis.
Magura BNP joint-convener Nazimuddin Ahmed was in the chair.
“While party was in power, those leaders defamed our popular organisation through tender manipulation. They were involved in controlling tender on the plea of raising party fund, but now the party has no fund to held a Milad Mahfil even”, Shalikha thana BNP leader and former union parishad (UP) chairman Idris Hossain lamented at the meeting.
Pointing finger to a joint-convener of district BNP, Idris said, “To grab the party fund that leader had submitted a bill of Tk 21 lakh for an Iftar mahfil arranged by the party in 2005”.
Blaming district leaders, Mohammadpur thana BNP joint-convener and Nohata UP chairman Mahmud Hossain said, “ We want to know, where the huge amount earned by tender manipulation has gone”. He proposed to retrieve the amount from the grabbers and announce it as 'party fund'
Sources in intelligence agencies and party insiders informed, the negotiation committee illegally realised 16 per cent of estimated cost of development projects and earned at least Tk 15 crore by manipulating tenders in five years of 4-paty alliance rule.
An allegation regarding the anomaly also has been pending with Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), official sources said. After receiving the allegation, local ACC officials have sent it to higher authorities for directive, they informed.
“We have already sent the allegation to Dhaka, but are yet to receive any directive from the higher authorities”, said an assistant director (AD) of ACC seeking anonymity. The AD however declined to give details.
Sources in the party and intelligence agencies said, the tender manipulation syndicate comprised pro-BNP contractors and front ranking leaders of district BNP who allegedly enjoyed protection of former lawmaker Quazi Saleemul Huq alias Quazi Kamal, elected from Magura-2 constituency.
Sources in different offices including LGED, R&H, and PWD and contractors said, during 4-paty alliance rule, all works of the departments were sanctioned by the syndicate in favour of their chosen contractors.
Before sanctioning works, the syndicate realised 16 per cent money of the estimated project cost calling it 'negotiation money'. | |