The additional cost will be about two thousand crore takaTwo housing company behind change in Kewatkhali Bridge connection road design

> Hundreds of crores of taka looted in land acquisition

> The followers of the fallen fascist government are essentially the main architects of the design changes

> Project cost will increase by an additional approximately 2,000 crore taka

> Some corrupt and dishonest officials of the Roads and Highways Department are stirring up trouble.

> Influential groups active in influencing the investigation committee

Investigative report:

Due to irregularities and corruption by the project directors in the design of the connecting road and land acquisition of the Kewatkhali Arch Steel Bridge construction project; the project cost which was passed by the ECNEC, is increasing by about 2,000 crore taka from 3,263.14 crore taka due to the intervention of a vested interest group.

Country's largest and most spectacular Kewatkhali Arch Steel Bridge project to be built on the Brahmaputra River in Mymensingh district.

After verifying the feasibility of this bridge project in the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the survey work was carried out. Then, the project was presented to ECNEC on 23/9/2021. On that day, to get the project approved, some trusted politicians of the previous fascist government and the corrupt project director of the Roads and Highways Department changed the design and finally approved by ECNEC.

Later, newly approved project design was presented to various print and electronic media.

The extended design of the connecting road of the Kewatkhali Arch Steel Bridge project, for which the ECNEC approved the bridge project on September 23, 2021, was supposed to start on 01/07/2021 and end on 30/6/2025. But the Roads and Highways Department has not been able to start the project work to date.

According to multiple media sources and published reports, the design approved at the ECNEC meeting was changed to divert the design of the connecting road on the north-eastern side of the river through densely populated areas. This increases the distance of the connecting road by at least 1 kilometer, which is completely intentional. As a result, the project cost, including land acquisition, will cost an additional Tk 2-3 thousand crore.

Although various circles and local people submitted written complaints to the offices of the Deputy Commissioner, the Project Director of the Roads and Highways Department and the then Minister of the Roads and Bridges Ministry, highlighting the potential for corruption and irregularities in the Kewatkhali Arch Steel Bridge project. However, it did not see the light of day for unknown reasons.

While the answer to why the project approved by ECNEC was changed has not been found yet, multiple sources have confirmed that the design was changed to serve the interests of the project director and his loyal beneficiaries, politicians and bureaucrats.

Project Director Noor-e-Alam (Supervising Engineer) is currently on duty at the head office of the Roads and Highways Department. Basically, all the work of changing the design was done during his time. Project Manager Didarul Alam, being from Mymensingh region encouraged local politicians and bureaucrats to do wrongdoings in the project. Multiple sources have confirmed this to 'The Finance Today'.

The Finance Today's initial investigation into why the design of the controversial Kewatkhali Bridge project was changed has revealed huge irregularities and corruption have taken place in this project.

According to sources, Syed Mainul Hasan, the current chief engineer of the Roads and Highways Department, who was highly trusted by the previous fascist government, was the then additional chief engineer of the Mymensingh Division.

Information received from various sources has revealed that Syed Moinul Hasan, the current chief engineer of the Roads and Towns Department, is a trusted confidant of Obaidul Quader, the Minister in charge of the Roads and Bridges Ministry of the fallen fascist government.

Later, following the request of several conscious circles, an expert team of 'The Finance Today' started an in-depth investigation into the Roads and Highways Directorate. According to the information obtained in the investigation, the main mastermind behind all the irregularities and corruption that have taken place in the Roads and Highways Directorate is the current Chief Engineer Syed Moinul Hasan. He is a central council member of the Bangabandhu Engineers Council.

If any corruption and irregularities occur in the development of road infrastructure in the Mymensingh region, the chief officer in charge of the Roads and Highways Department cannot avoid responsibility.

Naturally, the question arises, how did corruption and irregularities occur in a project where work has not even begun? Multiple sources in the Roads and Towns Department have confirmed that there was corruption in land acquisition and that this change in the design was made to achieve the personal interests of some people loyal to the government.

When the ECNEC approved this bridge project and the work was supposed to start in 2021, the dollar was worth 80 taka in the world market, which is currently more than 120 taka. Who will take responsibility for the additional 35-40% taka that will have to be spent if the design of the currently approved project is worked on without changing the design? The Ministry of Roads and Bridges and the Department of Roads and Highways cannot avoid this responsibility in any way.

In the public interest, in response to the application of one Mosharraf Hossain on behalf of the local people, a 4-member committee was formed to investigate irregularities in the design and land acquisition of the Kewatkhali Bridge Construction Project connecting road in Mymensingh district by the DFDP Branch of the Roads and Highways Department of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Memorandum No. 35.00.0000.029.27.037.24.09 office order.

The committee includes Gopal Chandra Das, Joint Secretary of the Ministry's Roads and Highways Division, as convener, Mohammad Nuruzzaman, Deputy Secretary of the same ministry, and Khandaker Md. Abu Zafar, Assistant Secretary, and a representative nominated by the Roads and Highways Department as members.

The order was signed by the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry, Zahidul Islam, on 22/01/2025. The committee has been asked to submit its report within 5 working days from 22/01/2025.

The committee members have already visited the project area and Mymensingh on-site. The committee's convener, Joint Secretary Gopal Chandra Das, and member, Deputy Secretary Mohammad Nuruzzaman, told 'The Finance Today', 'The committee has completed its work. The report will be submitted within a day or two.'

It has been learned from various sources that a group is trying to influence the committee report, due to which it has not been possible to start the project work for a long time. The officials, employees and contractors who are followers and beneficiaries of Obadul Quader, the influential minister of the previous fascist government and the General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, are still in power in the Roads and Highways Department. Thousands of crores of taka worth of work are still in their possession. It is never possible to chase away the ghost by keeping the ghost in the mustard.

According to information sources, the design of the two housing projects that have been changed to provide benefits is Mymensingh Housing and Brakshaputra Housing. The chairman of these two projects is Mymensingh District Awami League Vice President Aminul Haque Shamim. On the other hand, an attempt is being made to build roads on privately owned land instead of government khas land.

Basically, there have been allegations of faulty design of the bridge project's connecting roads, twisting them and passing through densely populated areas, as part of a scheme to incur excessive additional costs in the acquisition sector.

The Roads and Highways Department has been given the responsibility of implementing the Kewatkhali Bridge, a steel bridge like the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.

The government was supposed to provide 1,353.82 crore rupees from its own funds and the remaining amount from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The locals are hopeful that the current government will quickly implement this project in the public interest.