Off to Turkey to see lifts!

A six-member team of Pabna University of Science and Technology will visit Turkey next month to inspect the quality of lifts that would be purchased for the university.

Two of them are teachers and the rest are engineers, according to an official document.

The "pre-shipment inspection team" is scheduled to start its 10-day tour on June 6. A construction company, which got the work to install the lifts, will carry the expenses of the trip, said officials concerned.

The tour has been arranged under the "Development of Pabna University of Science and Technology" project.

PUST Pro-VC Prof SM Mostafa Kamal Khan will lead team that include university's treasurer KM Salah Uddin, Project Director Eng Lt Col (retd) GM Azizur Rahman and three other engineers of the university -- Farid Ahmed, Ripon Ali and Ziaul Abedin.

Five 10-storey buildings have recently been constructed on the campus spending over Tk 520 crore.

Hossain Construction Pvt Ltd, based in Dhaka, built them and the firm has also been awarded the job for installing 25 lifts.

"No money will be spent from the university fund for this purpose," PD Azizur told The Daily Star. "The visit is necessary to inspect the quality of the product."

Asked, the PD claimed that the visit with the money of a construction firm would not violate any rules.

PUST Vice-Chancellor Prof Hafiza Khatun said, "The provision for a foreign trip was included in the tender. So, it is neither a case of irregularity nor corruption. It is a part of the entire project."

The issue drew huge criticism on social media.

"An enquiry should be conducted to check whether any public fund is used for the foreign trip, said Shibojit Nag, president of Pabna District Anti-Corruption Committee, a citizen platform.

"It is a luxurious pleasure trip," said Abdul Matin Khan, president of Pabna district unit Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan).

"The construction company will not spend its own money, rather it will somehow manage the money from the project," he opined.