The bid for this project was floated in January in an unusual hurry and with unusual terms, making four short-listed bidders for the project to stay away from participation in it. Only three bidders participated.

But when the authorities scrutinised the three offers with the help of a Japanese consultant, it was found that all the three contained faulty and bad designs, not suitable for the project.

Being aware of their shortcomings, the bidders then requested the authorities to extend the time frame to enable them to come up with flawless designs but the authorities turned down their request.

"The situation demands a fresh tender with standard bid terms and conditions," notes one source.

But the communications ministry is determined to see the project going ahead. It has found the Tk 300 crore plus offer of "China Major Bridge" company as the lowest. It wants the project implementing authorities-- Roads and Highways Department (R&HD)-- to award the bid to this Chinese company, and that the bidder will "correct" the design flaws later on.

"But it may not be that easy because the bridge is to be constructed with the Kuwait Fund as financier. The Kuwait government is very strict about standards," the source pointed out.

This could mean the project would be delayed.

But the ministry has been unusually hasty over the project due to political reasons, and a delay will not serve the purpose, the source added.

The ministry in January forced the R&HD to slash the contractor's time required for site study to kick-start the project before the campaign for the next general election sets off.

Engineers and the project's consultants had suggested a time frame of six months for studying and designing such a project but the communications ministry was pressured by Chittagong-based ruling BNP lawmakers and policymakers to cut it down to two months only.

This pushed four short-listed and reputed firms to withdraw from participating in the bid citing "unreasonable time allowed for bid preparation". R&HD engineers also believe that designing such a bridge only in two months would result in nothing but a faulty one.

In addition to inadequate time frame, the bidders were given incomplete information for preparing the design.

There are also allegations that some powerful quarters are backing two chosen Chinese contractors to provide "supporting" bid for each other, eventually to share the work. They have in turn agreed to make generous contribution to the "election fund".

Communications Minister Nazmul Huda in a press statement later argued that 75 days are good enough to submit bid proposals and this time frame will not be extended. The work order for the Kuwait government-funded bridge would be given in March and construction will begin in April.

Fisheries Minister Abdullah Al Noman, who was elected to parliament from Chittagong, declared at a public meeting in Chittagong in January that if construction of Karnaphuli bridge did not start soon, he would not contest the next election.