By manipulating tenders in last five years of 4-party alliance rule, the 'committee' illegally realised 16 per cent of estimated cost of development projects, contractors and sources in intelligence agencies said.

Assistant Director of Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) in Magura Aminur Rahman told this correspondent that he got allegations of tender manipulation by the 'negotiation committee' and was investigating the matter. He however declined to give details.

The tender manipulation syndicate comprised pro-BNP contractors and front ranking leaders of district BNP and allegedly enjoyed protection of lawmaker Quazi Salemul Huq alias Quazi Kamal, elected from Magura-2 constituency, the sources claimed.

"Contractors and party men chosen by the lawmaker deserved membership of the committee", a pro-BNP contractor said seeking anonymity.

"Actually, professional contractors had no entry at all to buy or drop any schedule as members of the 'negotiation committee' used to control the whole process and sold works among the chosen highest bidders", well known contractor Mustafizur Rahman Swapan alleged while talking to this correspondent.

On contact over cell phone, former lawmaker Quazi Kamal however denied his involvement with the negotiation committee.

"As I was never a contractor, I was not involved in the malpractice. Rather, after learning about the so-called negotiation committee, I discouraged party men and directed officials not to follow the committee's decision in distributing work", he said.

Official sources said, LGED (Local Government Engineering Department) in Magura in five years from 2001 to 2006 implemented 25 development projects involving Tk 59.99 crore.

All the works were sanctioned by the syndicate in favour of their chosen contractors, sources at LGED office and professional contractors said.

The syndicate allegedly realised 16 per cent money of the estimated cost of projects before 'sanctioning' the work, calling it 'negotiation money'.

After realising the money, the syndicate compelled officials concerned to arrange a managed lottery, the sources said.

Such tender manipulation deprived the government of huge amounts of revenue as none but the chosen contractors were allowed to buy schedules, LGED sources said.

On March, 2004, contractor Khan Afjal Hossain lodged a complaint when members of the syndicate and their cadres snatched his schedules for Tk 1.06 crore road development work as he went to drop those at LGED office. The report was published in The Daily Star on March 21.

The Magura LGED office earned Tk 10.46 lakh revenue by selling schedules and other documents in 2006-07 financial year as it could run the office independently, free of the clutches of the negotiation committee. Compared to this, the office earned Tk 20 lakh revenue in five financial years from 2001 to 2005 as professional contractors were barred from buying and dropping schedules, the sources said.

Same was the case with Roads and Highways (R&H) Department and PWD (Public Works Department).

Sources in R&H office said, from FY 2001-02 to 2005-06, the department implemented about Tk 70 crore development projects and contractors selected by the negotiation committee got the works in exchange of 16 per cent of the estimated cost.

Some aggrieved BNP men preferring anonymity also confirmed tender manipulation and claimed that crores of taka were realised by the negotiation committee in different departments in last five years.

They said, six per cent of the realised money was deposited with the account of 'Quazi Salima Huq Trust', a social welfare body named after the mother of former BNP lawmaker Quazi Kamal while the rest 10 per cent was deposited with different banks in the name of party fund. The accounts were operated by influential BNP leaders.

Such an account (No. savings: 12315) with Janata Bank main branch in Magura town is still been operated in joint names of district BNP senior vice-president Aminul Islam Chandu Mian and Sadar upazila BNP president Sakhawat Hossain.

Another account (No. savings: 10274) with the same bank is run in the name of former lawmaker's PA (personal assistant), sources in intelligence agencies said.

"If law enforcers investigate the bank accounts of some pro-BNP contractors and accounts of some BNP leaders involved with the negotion-committee, they will be able to detect transactions of crores of taka", a former front ranking leader of district BNP said.

Some party insiders requesting anonymity however admitted that a small portion of the collected money was also distributed among party cadres and leaders according to their status.

But major portion of the money was deposited with banks in the name of calling 'party fund' and subsequently grabbed by negotiation committee leaders, they claimed.