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Lakshmipur: Authorities have found evidence that substandard construction materials were used in a Tk 73.7 million (approximately Tk 7.37 crore) road rehabilitation and drainage development project under Lakshmipur Municipality. Four municipal officials, including an assistant sub-engineer, have been served show-cause notices for alleged negligence in supervising the project.
Lakshmipur Municipality Executive Engineer Julfikar Hossain confirmed the matter on Sunday night (July 19). A written complaint has also been submitted to the Project Director against the contractor responsible for the alleged irregularities.
According to municipal sources, Assistant Sub-Engineer Sohag Ali and Work Assistant Fahad Hossain have already received written show-cause notices for dereliction of duty. The municipal administrator has also instructed authorities to issue similar notices to two other assistant sub-engineers, Mohammad Ishaq and ABM Ashraf Uddin.
Executive Engineer Julfikar Hossain said the work is being carried out under the Resilient Urban and Territorial Development Project (RUTDP), funded by the World Bank. The project includes the construction of bituminous roads, drainage systems, street lighting, and footpaths on several important municipal roads.
However, an on-site inspection revealed that poor-quality stone chips were being used for the road’s macadam layer, while substandard stones were being used in the drainage works. Despite repeated verbal and written warnings, the contractor allegedly continued using inferior materials.
Local residents also alleged that the original contractor had subcontracted the work to a local businessman, Firoz Alam, who had been carrying out the project with widespread irregularities from the outset. They claimed that rubble and low-grade stones were used instead of the specified quality aggregates, raising concerns over the misuse of public funds in the multi-crore government project.
Following the inspection, municipal authorities ordered an immediate suspension of all construction activities. The contractor, Messrs Mostafa & Sons, owned by Shahidul Islam, has been instructed to remove all substandard materials from the construction site within three days.
In a letter sent to the Project Director, the municipality stated that the package under the World Bank-funded RUTDP covers the development of bituminous roads, drainage systems, street lighting, and footpaths along the routes from Trimohoni via ANM Fazlul Karim Road to Polytechnic Road, and from Maulana Rehan Uddin Road and Ramgati Road to the Dhaka–Raipur Road.
The complaint further alleges that the contractor repeatedly ignored both verbal and written warnings and continued using inferior materials in the project. As a result, all work has been suspended until the substandard materials are removed and the contractor informs the authorities of compliance within the stipulated three-day period.