Bidding sets SCC admin against councillors

All administrative work at the Sylhet City Corporation office in Topkhana area of the city is unofficially stopped after the rooms of three top SCC officials have been locked by a faction of ruling party councillors, resulting in rising tensions among the officials who are refusing to return to work until the councillors apologised for their action.

On October 17, after office hours, 10 city councillors led by Azadur Rahman (ward-20), locked the rooms of Enamul Habib, chief executive officer of SCC; Nur Azizur Rahman, chief engineer; and ANM Monshef, chief accounts officer, said SCC officials.

Councillor Azadur said they locked the rooms as a protest since the administrators were working according to their whim as SCC did not have a mayor.

But, according to SCC officials, the councillors locked the rooms after one of their contractors did not get a tender for the Laldighirpar Hawker's Market reconstruction project.

In the first tender, the bid was Tk 1.8 crore for the project, which was cancelled due to legal problems, they said.

Later, a second tender was called and a local Awami League leader won the bid with Tk 1.05 crore but the corporation officials decided not to give the work order for the huge difference in the bidding, according to SCC officials.

Contacted, Mokhlesur Rahman Kamran, councillor of ward-9, said, “As we do not have a mayor, the administration is overseeing everything as they desire. Even though the bid was won, still they refused to give the work order. They must have their own agendas…”

“Since the difference between the first and second bid was too high, we had decided not to give the work order. According to the procurement law we have the provision to go for third or fourth tender if we are not satisfied with the bid amount…,” said Enamul Habib, chief executive officer of SCC.

During a visit at SCC office yesterday afternoon, this correspondent found that most of the officials were not in their rooms and people were waiting to get their work done. Many came by to renew or apply for trade licenses, holding tax or paying bills but had to return empty-handed.

Seeking anonymity, many SCC officials said they will not go back to work until the councillors apologise.

Another SCC source claimed the deadlock will not end as the local Awami League leaders have taken the responsibility to solve the situation, which is taking longer due to the party's national council.

“The councillors may have their reasons…but we will not go back to work until our rooms are unlocked…,” said Enamul Habib. Hopefully we will come to an understanding soon, he added.