Rajshahi, Aug 18 (V7N) — A total of 1,668 dustbins supplied to improve waste management in Charghat Municipality of Rajshahi are reportedly unaccounted for, raising allegations of irregularities and inadequate oversight in their distribution.
According to municipal records, the municipality received 4,000 small dustbins and 400 large dustbins under the Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Project (UGIIP) in 2024. The 20-litre bins were intended for households, while the 120-litre bins were designated for commercial establishments.
Of the 400 large dustbins, municipal records show that 206 were distributed. The municipality should therefore have 194 remaining. However, none of the 194 large bins could reportedly be found.
Similarly, 992 of the 4,000 small dustbins were recorded as distributed, leaving 3,008. But the municipality currently has only 1,534 small bins, meaning 1,474 are unaccounted for.
Together, 194 large and 1,474 small dustbins are missing, bringing the total number of unaccounted-for bins to 1,668.
Allegations of irregular distribution
The dustbins were supposed to be distributed free of charge among residents. However, local residents allege that Tk 100 was collected for each small bin and Tk 300 for each large bin from some recipients.
They further allege that influential individuals and political activists received dustbins free of charge and that some bins were distributed to people living outside the municipality.
During a visit to different areas, several dustbins supplied for public use were reportedly found lying beside waste dumps, while some were lying unused. In some places, rubbish was found scattered around the bins, raising questions about the effectiveness of the waste collection system.
Municipal officials are supposed to collect waste from the distributed bins using municipal vehicles. According to municipal information, the municipality earns around Tk 25,000 a month from waste collection fees associated with the distributed bins.
Records missing
The dustbins were allocated to Charghat Municipality in early 2024 when former Executive Engineer Rezaul Karim was in charge.
Local sources allege that the relevant files were kept under his supervision and that proper written records of distribution were not maintained.
Rezaul Karim denied the allegations, saying no files had been destroyed.
“I did not destroy any files. A few dustbins were distributed on the recommendation of political leaders. Apart from that, records of all distributions were maintained in the register,” he said.
A municipal dustbin was also reportedly found being used at a medicine shop in Nandan Gachhi Bazar under Nimpara Union, outside the municipality.
Shopkeeper Nazrul Islam said he had taken two dustbins because they looked good and claimed that he had not paid for them.
There are also allegations that some dustbins were broken down and sold by weight to scrap dealers. Residents said the absence of a designated official responsible for distributing and monitoring the bins has contributed to a lack of accountability.
Saiful Islam Raihan, a resident of Ward 6, alleged that there was virtually no monitoring of the dustbins.
He claimed that some people collect the bins from the municipality and sell them to scrap dealers, but no effective action is taken against them.
Selim Reza, a resident of Ward 9, said the bins were supposed to be distributed free of charge to municipal residents so that waste could be collected regularly and the municipality could generate revenue through collection fees.
Officials promise action
Mohammad Kamruzzaman, president of Citizens for Good Governance (SUJAN), Charghat unit, said the municipality has particular importance because Bangladesh Police Academy and Rajshahi Cadet College are located within its jurisdiction.
He said the dustbins were intended to raise public awareness and improve waste management, but poor municipal management had undermined the initiative.
Charghat Municipality Executive Engineer Mohammad Mujibur Rahman said he did not know how many dustbins had originally been supplied to the municipality under the project.
“As a result, I cannot say how many are missing. The relevant file cannot be found. We searched throughout the municipality but could not locate it,” he said.
Charghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer and municipal administrator Jannatul Ferdous said the allegations would be examined and appropriate action would be taken if they were found to be true.
Charghat Municipality is one of 10 important municipalities covered by the UGIIP project, which provides infrastructure support, including dustbins, to improve sanitation and waste management.
The project is financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), while the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is involved in its implementation and supervision.
END/MRA/SMA/
