Rezaur Rahman Ripon, JCD leader and former vice president of Kabi Nazrul College Student Union, JCD Dhaka South unit President Rafiqul Islam Majnu and some other leaders of the BNP-backed student body managed to get all the four contracts, sources told The Daily Star yesterday.

Ripon and Majnu allegedly had earlier bought the tender schedules from the NSC's accountant at a Wari residence and submitted those on the last day yesterday to get the deals finalised.

A group of JCD musclemen roamed the NSC office premises to keep other potential bidders at bay as the tender process for the four stadiums in Chittagong, Barisal, Netrokona, and Chapainawabganj

was finalised.

A senior NSC official preferring anonymity said, "No tender schedules were available for public sale. Only private sales were made to government-backed syndicates after they had made payments to the authorities concerned."

Several intending bidders, who lined up for tender schedules, also alleged that no tender schedules were on sale.

The tenders were floated last month.

No boxes for dropping tender schedules were found at the NSC offices yesterday. Only an advertisement inviting bids was published inside a low-circulation newspaper last week, making it difficult for potential bidders to know about it.

When contacted, NSC Director Nurul Haq Pradhan claimed that the tender process was properly followed. "I don't know if any external syndicate got the tenders, but in our office everything was properly done."

Sources say the JCD men were patronised by two ministers, two lawmakers from Rajshahi and Barisal and NSC high-ups.

Some potential bidders, also backed by other BNP high-ups, said they missed out on the tenders because they did not pay matching commissions to the ministers and MPs concerned.

The renovations and additions include building new pavilions, a media centre, galleries, playground development, security and border fencing, walk-ways, approach roads, a swimming tank and drains. Moreover, Tk 8 crore has been allocated for construction of new floodlights for Barisal district stadium.