Food tender hijacked : Jubo, Chhatra Leagues men obstruct others to drop schedules; Rab, police remain inactive  Jubo League and Chhatra League cadres snatched tender schedules from a number of contractors inside the Khadya Bhaban of food ministry in presence of police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel yesterday noon. The hired cadres also destroyed the schedules of a number of contractors and beat up them when they went to drop the schedules around 12:30pm at the boxes kept there. Though a huge number of Rab and police were present on the spot, they played the role of silent spectators. Ramna zone Deputy Commissioner of DMP Atiqul Islam said he was not aware of such incident. But Rezaul Karim, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh police station, said a scuffle took place at the end of dropping the tender schedules and it was out of the office building. Sources said the last date of dropping tenders for repairing of food godowns under Dhaka Division was yesterday. The work was worth Tk 2.70 crore. But the cadres hired by some contractors, who belong to Jubo League and Chhatra League, took position in the office area since yesterday morning so that others could not submit the schedules. Witnesses said when the contractors who do not belong to their group went to drop the schedules, the cadres swooped on them around 12:30pm and snatched their schedules by beating them. At one stage, the contractors left the area failing to drop their schedules. Talking to The Daily Star, Pius Costa, director general of Food, admitted that a scuffle took place between two groups. "They locked in the scuffle on Abdul Gani Road, which is out of the building premises", the DG said adding, "One of the contractors informed me over phone that his tender schedules were snatched and torn up. But no one lodged any written complaint." Asked, the DG said a huge number of schedules were dropped and the box would be opened today. |
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