LGED getting tough with rogue contractor

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Rangabali upazila is considering taking legal action against a contractor for using substandard bricks in road construction.

The one kilometre-long road, between Madarbunia Khal and house of Sattar Gazi in Baherchar village of Rangabali union, is being built by the LGED at a cost of Tk 51.61 lakh, according to data from LGED office in Rangabali.

Although the official work order for the job was awarded to Paul Enterprise, a construction contractor in Patuakhali, a different contractor firm named Bashir Uddin Sikder started the actual work on the road in early February, locals said.

Hearing the allegation of poor quality bricks being used in the construction of the road, LGED's Deputy Assistant Engineer Shahidul Islam visited the site and found the allegation to be true.

Before leaving the spot, the LGED official verbally asked the contractor to remove the below par bricks and brick chips from the road under construction, added the locals. 

Contacted, Shahidul Islam of LGED said aside from his verbal directive, he asked the contractor to remove the substandard bricks from the road in a letter issued on February 17.

But during another visit to the site on February 24, the engineer again found the contractor to be ignoring the directive and continuing to use the bricks with unacceptable quality in the construction work, which is in violation of its contract with LGED.

He then asked the contractor once again to remove the bricks from the road, Shahidul also said.

Bashir Uddin, the proprietor of the contractor firm, however, claimed that they had been using A-grade bricks in the work all along.

Despite that, in order to comply with the requirements made by the authorities, they suspended their work on the road so a fresh batch of bricks can be brought in to replace the previous batch, he added.   

LGED Engineer in Rangabali upazila Mizanul Kabir said, "We asked them in writing to remove the low-grade bricks [from the road]. Otherwise, legal action will be taken against them [the contractor]."