Banned contractors of Dhaka WASA trying to get work through manipulation
Tasmiah Nuhiya Ahmed of DOT
[2] The contractors of Dhaka WASA, which were banned for allegedly embezzling around Tk 400 crore through forgery, have become active again. It has been alleged that they are trying to get new jobs by manipulating Dhaka WASA again. However, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has banned those organizations from doing the work funded by them. Even they have written to Dhaka WASA to take action against them. In this context, Dhaka WASA has decided to take action by sending an official letter to those organizations. [3] It has been alleged that despite the blacklisting, Dhaka WASA is still trying to get work on other projects through various strategies and lobbying.
[4] According to ADB documents, WASA announced a work package of Tk 365.36 crore for the Dhaka Water Supply Network Improvement Project (DWSNIP). This project is funded by ADB. However, the ADB found evidence that the companies participating in the tender had resorted to collusion and fraud. Although the companies tendered under different names, their addresses, phone numbers and other information were the same.
The companies are Jaha Enterprise (Jaha), Paruma Engineering Works (Paruma) and SA Enterprise (SAE). The two people who received the notice are Ahsan Habib Lelin, chairman of Nilsagar Group and Md. Atiq Hossain Rabbi alias Engineer Nobel, a contractor.
[5] An e-mail message was sent to the managing director of Dhaka WASA on July 16 under the signature of David Binnons, head of the Integrity Committee of the Anti-Corruption and Integrity Secretariat of the ADB. The message said the three contractors were banned for the next three years. According to the e-mail message, tenders of three contractors for the Dhaka Water Supply Network Improvement Project (DWSNIP) project (Package No. 10) were not accepted as per the ADB’s Anti-Corruption and Integrity Policy (AIO). ADB investigates the work of the WASA Modus Zone 1 to 19 DMS Rehabilitation of Distribution Network for NRW Reduction Youth O&M Support (341.56 km). The investigation has found evidence that the three organizations have resorted to collusion and deception. The e-mail also said that under the ADB’s anti-corruption policy, companies would be banned for the next three years, meaning they would not be allowed to take part in any ADB-funded activities.