Contractor’s gift not a bribe, says Shahe Alam

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRDC) Mir Shahe Alam on Tuesday said that a gift from a contractor should not be considered a bribe if it comes from the contractor’s business profit and does not involve compromising construction quality.

The state minister made the remark while speaking as chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of an orientation and training course for newly appointed LGED assistant engineers at the Kamrul Islam Siddique Auditorium of LGED Bhaban in Agargaon.

Referring to a conversation with the senior secretary, Shahe Alam said an engineer had no reason to accept a bribe. 

A contractor who completes a contract can make a profit, he said, adding that the benefit lies in the estimated cost.

“If he can complete the contract and receive the bill quickly, a contractor can offer a gift to an engineer,” he said.

Shahe Alam said engineers could accept gifts offered from a contractor’s business profit, but they must not compromise construction quality to make money.

“If you compromise construction quality, save Tk10 lakh and share the savings with the contractor, you cannot do that,” he added.

He said LGED had faced widespread criticism over the quality of its construction work. The government had held several discussions with engineers since assuming power to address the issue and was working to improve standards.

“You have seen on social media the use of bamboo instead of rods in concrete bridge slab casting, the poor quality of road carpeting and plaster falling off. You must ensure the quality of the work,” he said.

Shahe Alam said engineers faced challenges because they had to work with contractors, who were among the most influential people in their localities. However, they must not compromise on construction quality.

He urged them to consult others and carry out repeated inspections, even if necessary for the 14th time, reminding them that public money was being spent.

The government spends several billion every year on rural infrastructure development, but poor results would be unfortunate, he said.

He cited primary school buildings that become damaged and unusable within five to seven years, although they are supposed to serve for 40 years. Such deterioration has raised questions among the public.

He said the proposal to bring LGED under the cadre system had already received preliminary approval at a pre-ECNEC meeting. The government had taken earnest initiatives to implement the process quickly.

Urging engineers not to switch to other cadres, including police, foreign affairs and VAT, through the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination, the state minister said they should continue to compete on merit and qualifications in both academic and professional fields.