Contractors protest bribe, demand arrear bill

Water Development Board (WDB) Contractors' Association in the district on Monday demanded immediate payment of Tk 27 crore in due bills to at least 100 contractors of the board.

It also urged the authorities concerned to take punitive measures against its executive engineer alleging that he took Tk 4 crore in bribe from them for giving work order.

The association made the demands at a press conference on the WDB premises in Cox's Bazar.

They also submitted a memorandum to the prime minister through Deputy Commissioner Md Abul Hossain in this regard.

At the conference the association threatened to lock the WDB office and go on sit-in demonstration if their dues were not paid by today.

Executive Engineer Sabibur Rahman of the transmission and maintenance department at Cox's Bazar WDB invited bids from contractors in January for Tk 34 crore work orders in 39 packages giving false announcement that Tk 34 crore allocation has been received for rehabilitation and repair of coastal embankments seriously damaged by the natural disaster and tidal surge, alleged the contractors.

The authorities appointed contractors on the basis of competition and gave work orders in February, they said, adding that the engineer realized Tk 4 crore in bribe from the contractors who got the work orders.

After getting the work orders, contractors collected money in different ways like bank loans and taking credit on high interest rates and after completing the works from March to May they handed those over to the authorities, said the contractors.

But when they asked the executive engineer to pay their bill money, he started "dilly-dallying". At one stage  engineer Sabibur told them that he did not get allocation of whole amount of money rather got  only Tk 7 crore from non-development revenue sector from the ministry.

Refuting the allegation of taking bribe, engineer Sabibur said, the contractors have completed Tk 34 crore work but their bills could not be paid on time as he did not get allocation of the amount. 

The engineer further said he has been trying to get the allocation.  He said the contractors will get their bills even if late.  The work has been done with permission from the authorities, he said.