'BNP Whip involved in Pirojpur LGED tender scandal'
Contractors allege
Our Correspondent, Barisal
The group of contractors of Barisal, who were assaulted ,injured and prevented from dropping tender at Pirojpur on March 11 for LGED work alleged that Whip Shahidul Huq Jamal was directly involved in the scandal. They demanded immediate cancellation of the tender bids and threatened to lodge case for noncompliance. At a press conference at Barisal Reporters Unity office on Saturday, the contractors alleged that BNP activists using mobile phone of the Whip is threatening them not to raise any objection to the bids dropped by them. They claimed that the BNP activists while chasing them out of Pirojpur told them that "managed" officials for the work involving about Tk 10 crore. BNP cadre Riaz, nephew of Whip Jamal is now receiving all phone calls made to the LGED Executive Engineer. Whoever makes a call is being threatened not to "proceed further", they alleged. They said more than 70 contractors purchased tender documents to bid, but failed to drop those. Only foyr contractors belonging to the Whip could drop bids. All entry roads to the Pieojpur LGED office were blocked by BNP cadres including the nephew of Whip Jamal, they alleged. They also demanded that some places outside Pirojpur be officially designated for dropping tenders. The press conference was addressed by, among others, Barisal district Jubo Dal General Sectrary Shahed Akhand Shamrat and party leader Zia ul Hasnain. Meanwhile Pirojpur district BNP President Alamgir Hossain and secretary Shahidul Alam Niru at a press conference at Pirojpur Press Club on Saturday said they have no connection with the incidents. Niru said he did not drop any tender and he was at Motbaria on Thursday when the incidents took place.
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