Costs doubled but work not finished

The cost of constructing two buildings at the campus of Begum Rokeya University Rangpur (BRUR) doubled due to anomalies and violations by the vice chancellor (VC) and his associates, and the construction work could not be completed in the last three years, a probe body of University Grants Commission (UGC) has found.

The probe body observed that BRUR VC Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah and his close associates at the university violated the Public procurement Act 2006 and Public Procurement Rules 2008, and recommended actions against them.

The prime minister inaugurated construction of Sheikh Hasina Female Student Dormitory and Dr Wazed Research and Training Institute at the campus via a virtual conference on January 4, 2017.

Both buildings are planned to be ten-storey high.

The research institute's initial cost was Tk 26.87 crore, but mysteriously, the budget increased to Tk 61 crore. Tk 51.35 crore was allocated to construct the dormitory, but it doubled to Tk 107 crore, found the probe body.

Tk 40 lakh was spent as consultancy fees, although there was no allocation in this regard, according to the original development project proposal mentioned in the report, which was submitted to the education ministry on February 25.

Sources said UGC formed a three-member probe body, led by Dr Md Alamgir, member of UGC's planning and development department in Dhaka, after receiving instruction from the education ministry on April 20 last year.

The other two members were Dr Ferdous Zaman and Dr Durga Rani Sarkar, director and additional director respectively of the department.

The committee visited the campus on January 17 and scrutinised relevant papers. The report was submitted recently to UGC, a copy of which has been obtained by this newspaper.

In the findings, it stated Prof Kalimullah replaced consultancy firm Joint Venture of Architect Monwar Habib & Prakito Construction Limited with M/s Acumen Architects & Planner Limited, without consulting the initial firm, which is a violation of the laws.

Prof Kalimullah stopped construction work of the buildings immediately after joining as VC on June 14, 2017. He appointed Engr Monjur Quader as a member of the university's Planning, Development and Workers Committee, as Monjur was a close associate.

Monjur changed the original design of the structures, which was risky and unacceptable, and later, the VC approved the design. Observing that Monjur failed to perform his duty correctly, the committee advised to relieve Monjur from his post.

Less than half the buildings' construction work has been completed after PM's inauguration. Therefore, the body observed that making changes in designs is entirely unnecessary. Construction work should be completed under the original design.

Legal action can be taken against those who violated the rules, it stated.

The body also advised completing construction work of Swadhinota Swarak at the campus.

It observed that the incumbent administration of BRUR, led by Prof Kalimullah, is responsible for the stalemate and negligence in construction.

For such acts, the government suffered financial losses, and it also tarnished the university's image, it stated.

Construction work of the two structures were supposed to have ended in 2018, but that was not possible for the authority's negligence.

Rejecting the UGC report, Prof Kalimullah said the probe body members did not sit with him. "They should have at least consulted with me, as I'm the university's VC, but they did not," he said.

He claimed that real corruption and irregularities occurred when Prof Nurun Nabi was BRUR VC.

"The content of the report was objectionable and defamatory," the VC said, adding that a legal notice will be sent against the report.

"The corruption and irregularities of others are being pushed onto me," he said.