Police have arrested a sub-contractor and filed a case against two people after workers allegedly used bamboo instead of iron rods in casting footpath slabs of an under-construction bridge worth more than Tk10 crore in Tangail’s Basail upazila.
The arrested person is Shah Alam, 44, son of late Nabur Uddin of Balapara area in Pirgachha upazila of Rangpur. He was arrested near the Maijkhara bridge in Basail municipality on Tuesday afternoon.
Basail Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Alamgir Kabir confirmed the arrest and filing of the case on Tuesday evening.
The case was filed by Basail Upazila Engineer Kazi Fattaur Rahman, naming the main contractor S M Jahangir Alam as the prime accused and sub-contractor Shah Alam as the second accused.
OC Kabir said Shah Alam was in police custody for questioning, while efforts were underway to arrest Jahangir Alam.
Bamboo used in footpath slabs
The alleged irregularity took place around 10:30pm on Sunday during the construction of a 90.6-metre PSC girder bridge on the Basail GC-Kauljani UP Office via Maijkhara GPS road.
Workers of the contracting firm allegedly started casting footpath slabs using bamboo strips instead of steel reinforcement bars.
Local residents noticed the work, confronted the workers and recorded videos on mobile phones, forcing them to stop temporarily.
Later, after residents left the area, workers allegedly resumed the casting work at night and completed it.
The videos later went viral on social media, drawing widespread attention and prompting authorities to take action.
Project details
The Tk10.09 crore bridge project was awarded to joint venture firm M/S Yunus Al Mamun-M/S Zakir Enterprise (JB).
Construction began in September 2022, with the initial completion deadline set for February 2024. The deadline was later extended, and around 80 per cent of the work has been completed, with the remaining 20 per cent unfinished.
Probe committee formed
Following public criticism, Abul Manjur Muhammad Chadek, superintending engineer of the Dhaka Region of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), inspected the bridge on Tuesday afternoon with an executive engineering team.
Upazila Engineer Kazi Fattaur Rahman said technical tests were underway and a detailed report would be submitted.
Meanwhile, Basail Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Iqbal Hossain formed a three-member investigation committee to look into the matter.
The committee is headed by Md Ahadi Hossain, additional upazila project implementation officer, as convener. Its other members are Rabiul Alam, assistant engineer of Basail municipality, and Md Altab Hossain, sub-assistant engineer of the Department of Public Health Engineering in Basail.
The committee has been asked to submit its report within one day.
The Upazila Engineering Department has also issued a show-cause notice to the contractor, seeking an explanation over the alleged negligence and directing immediate corrective measures.
