Khandaker Sujat Ali, superintendent engineer of the DCC' s Mechanical Engineering Division-1, and Abdus Sattar, executive engineer of the same division, are the accused in the case filed on Tuesday.

DCC Chief Executive Officer AFM Solaiman Chowdhury said there were more than 19 guidelines, formulated by a committee and approved by the mayor, to check the quality of 150 waste container boxes costing about Tk 75 lakh. But Sujat Ali in connivance with Sattar mentioned in official papers that the mayor approved 19 guidelines.

Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka confirmed filing of the case against the engineers.

Some sources however pointed their finger at the private secretary (on deputation) to the mayor and said he is the custodian of all documents and papers approved by the mayor and no-one can distort them without his knowledge.

There are allegations that the mechanical department has long been involved in making waste container boxes with low quality materials.

Against this backdrop, the mayor approved of formation a committee to check the malpractice.

Earlier on November 19 last year, The Daily Star carried a report on tender manipulation involving Tk 50 crore with which the two engineers were allegedly linked. No action was taken in this regard yet.

Besides, a committee headed by the then chief engineer of the DCC Khondoker Mahmudur Rahman probed allegations of fund misuse and corruption by the two engineers and recommended departmental action. The two were then withdrawn from their posts only to be reinstated later.

Khoka expressed his ignorance about this.