Pro-BNP contractors ransack LGED office

LGED (local government engineering department) office sources said BNP leader Nasiruddin got a Tk 80 lakh work for construction of Gomnati- Khorar Danga road known as 'Zia road' connecting Domar and Dimla upazilas. The work is under RDP-Project 21 (Rural Development Project21).

Nasir shared the project work with five other contractors, most of whom are leaders of district and and Sadar upazila BNP.

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On Wednesday, Nasiruddin along with other contractors entered the executive engineer's office and demanded that he put his signature on the 'final bill' for the work. But the Executive Engineer refused to sign it without inspecting the work. This infuriated the contractors.

At one stage they ransacked the office, shouted at the Executive Engineer and humiliated him, creating a panicky situation, the sources alleged.

Hearing hue and cry inside, passers-by gathered outside the office, they said.

After the incident, Executive Engineer Sahadat Hossain told newsmen that the contractors pressed him for his signature on the final bill.

"As per rule I can not sign the final bill without inspecting the sight", Sahadat said.

He alleged that Nasir also pressed him for fitness certificate of construction materials used.

Nasir told newsmen that the LGED Executive Engineer illegally held up his bills.

He claimed that the LGED thana engineer and other officials concerned inspected the sight.

Even the Deputy Project Director and the Field Engineer from Rangpur inspected the sight.

He claimed that the Executive Engineer held up his bill as he refused pay him seven per cent of the bill as commission.

He further alleged that the Executive Engineer went to Dhaka one week ago and returned just before the Eid. "We can not pay employees and workers before the Eid for non-payment of bills. The Executive Engineer is responsible for the situation", Nasiruddin alleged.