BCL's agitation forces BADC to call off tender

Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation officials of Barisal yesterday called off the tenders of two small irrigation projects, worth Tk 2.5 core, to avoid untoward situation that might be created by BCL activists, who was agitating for new lotteries only to choose local contractors.

However, Abdullah Al Rashid, executive engineer BADC (irrigation) and the project director, did not file any general diary as the BCL activists "did not assault him" and he did not arrange for enough security beforehand as "he could not even anticipate that such incident would occur".

Some 60 BCL activists, who gathered on the BADC office premises along with their leader Moin Tushar in the morning, started agitation soon after two contractors of Faridpur won separate lotteries held for two categories out of 18 under the Babuganj-Muladi and Banaripara-Wajirpur upazila development projetcs.

Some of the activists entered the project director's room and hurled abuses at him demanding cancellation of the lotteries.

Denying any involvement, Tushar, former joint secretary of BCL BM college unit,  said it was not his followers who did it and he only went there to encourage his fellow contractors.

However, a group of local contractors, and official sources confirmed that Tushar led his men to cancel the lotteries to favour his friends.

Ruhul Amin, proprietor of Talukdar Construction, one of the two tender winning firms, also blamed the inadequate number of police for the incident.

Fresh dates to complete the tender procedure would be announced soon, Rashid said.