Considering the growing global threat of earthquakes, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has initiated preparations for earthquake readiness.
As part of these efforts, a tender was recently invited to procure post-earthquake rescue equipment. Bangladesh Science House got the contract.
However, allegations have surfaced that the project director awarded the contract to this firm despite it having no prior experience in supplying earthquake-related equipment. A formal complaint regarding this matter has been submitted to the Ministry.
The complaint was recently lodged with the Advisor and Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.
According to the complaint, “Under your ministry’s project titled ‘Procurement of Equipment for Search, Rescue Operations, and Emergency Communication During Earthquakes and Other Disasters (Phase 3), ’ a tender was invited. Under this project, Bangladesh Science House was issued a work order. However, according to the tender conditions, the company lacks the required qualifications. The experience certificate they submitted does not align with the actual needs of the project.
Notably, the company submitted a `Building Lift Certificate’, which is in no way relevant to the supply of disaster management and rescue equipment. As a result, their proposal is inconsistent with the real requirements and amounts to deception. Such discrepancies are considered major deviations and should disqualify the bidder under Public Procurement Rules.”
When contacted, Project Director (PD) Kazi Shafiqul Alam said, “We tried to complete the tender process following all rules. There may still be some flaws. If anyone has complaints, they should follow due procedure, and necessary actions will be taken as per regulations.”
Faruk-e-Azam, Advisor to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, stated, “We received a complaint about this issue yesterday. We will investigate the matter, and if irregularities are found, proper actions will be taken.”
Abdullah Al Mamun, Director of bidding company HTMS, said, “Several companies have jointly submitted complaints against the firm that was awarded the contract. We have also filed a complaint with the ministry. Additionally, we have completed the process for filing a writ petition in court. The project director awarded the work in exchange for a large sum of money. The awarded company has no service center, no manpower, and lacks the experience and capacity required to supply materials as per the tender specifications. We have also reported the matter to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).”
Despite multiple attempts, the owners of Bangladesh Science House could not be reached for comment.
