Rajshahi, Jan 03, (V7N) - On Thursday night, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) raided Rajshahi City Corporation’s office following allegations of irregularities in the ongoing renovation of the city hall, which had been damaged by arson and vandalism on August 5. The renovation work, which began recently, was carried out without calling for a proper tender, with nearly half a crore of public money already spent. The works were carried out under the "Request for Quotation" (RFQ) method, which allows for works up to 10 lakh takas to be done without a tender. However, three contractors have already received approximately 20 lakh taka in payments.
 
An enforcement team, led by ACC Assistant Director Amir Hossain, conducted the raid and examined files and documents in several departments within the city corporation. The other team members included ACC Assistant Director Tanveer Ahmed Siddique and Deputy Assistant Director Mahbubur Rahman.
 
According to ACC officials, much of the renovation work had already been completed, but the city corporation could not provide proper documentation regarding the selection of contractors. Additionally, when the ACC contacted the phone numbers listed in the documents for verification, they found that the number belonged to a person from Chandpur, not the actual contractor.
 
The renovation work is part of the ongoing recovery after the August 5 attack, where the city hall suffered damages worth over 21 crore takas. However, concerns have been raised about the lack of transparency and adherence to regulations in the current renovation project.
 
Sources indicated that Yahya Khan Milu, a former joint convener of the district Youth Front and a leader of the local BNP, is handling a significant portion of the work, including painting and installing new glass. Currently, nearly 50 lakh takas are being spent to renovate the mayor’s office, but there is no tender documentation for the work. Despite claims that the project was being handled through the RFQ method, the city corporation has failed to provide proper paperwork, and half of the work has already been completed.
 
During the ACC's raid on Thursday, city corporation staff were reportedly delayed in providing documents. After a lengthy wait, they only handed over documents for three works, and were unable to provide paperwork for seven other ongoing projects. ACC officials raised concerns about the lack of competitive bidding, which is required under the Public Procurement Rules (PPR).
 
According to Amir Hossain, the same group of contractors, all apparently from the same family, had submitted bids for multiple projects, including "Samiya Enterprise" and "Shahrin Enterprise," owned by the family of Abdul Malek. These bids appeared suspicious, and the ACC is now investigating further.
 
The acting chief engineer of the city corporation, Ahmad Al Moin, defended the process, stating that the renovation work was being carried out with the approval of the Ministry of Local Government, using the corporation’s own funds. He also claimed that there was no irregularity, and that the files for the remaining works would be provided shortly. However, concerns about transparency and fairness remain unresolved.
 
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