Massive corruption in Tk 730m project

Diseases which are transmitted to humans from animals are called ‘zoonotic’ diseases. Diseases like anthrax, diphtheria and rabies fall under this category. The Department of Livestock Services (DLS) has implemented a project worth Tk 730 million to prevent zoonotic diseases. Of that, Tk 320 million has been spent for lab construction and purchasing equipment. However, the lab has not been opened even after six months of completion of the project. Even the equipment worth Tk 170 million is yet to be unwrapped.

The officials at the DLS do not have the answer as to whether the lab will open or by when it will be in operation. The DLS has not appointed any expert manpower to run the lab either. Although the entire fund allocated for the project has been spent, it is not coming to any work.

Apart from the wastage of people’s money, there have been allegations of massive corruption in the project. The biggest corruption was in the purchase of equipment worth Tk 170 million. Although the equipment was supposed to be purchased from the USA, it was purchased from China. There is also evidence of using fake stickers on many of the equipment. The chemical reagents are also getting expired before the launching of the lab. The information came up in an investigation conducted by the fisheries and livestock ministry. Although a year has passed since the submission of the investigation reports, no action has been taken against anybody.

The name of the lab in the capital’s Savar is ‘Veterinary Public Health and Microbiology Laboratory’. It was constructed as part of the project named ‘Veterinary Public Health Service Strengthening and Protection Project’. The project got government approval in July 2019. The deadline for the project ended in June 2024.

The investigation report named former project director (suspended) Azizul Islam and last project director Mokbul Hossain among the persons involved in corruption and irregularities in this project. Besides, the tender evaluation committee and four members of the committee formed for receiving the equipment have also been accused of being involved in irregularities.

Former DLS director general Mohammad Reazul Haque, who went into retirement in recent times, refrained from making any comments in this regard and told the correspondent to contact project director Mokbul Hossain.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Mokbul Hossain claimed he didn’t know anything about the investigation report. He claimed he handed over the building to the DLS after the construction. There hasn’t been any irregularity in the purchase of the equipment.

First project director Azizul Islam had a dispute with a contracting agency over the construction of the building. The agency submitted a complaint in writing to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock over this. The ministry formed a three-member-committee on 12 November, 2023 to probe the allegations raised by the contracting agency. Committee chief and joint secretary at the ministry Shaheena Ferdausi told Prothom Alo they mentioned whatever they found in the report.

Equipment worth a total of Tk 170 million has been purchased in five phases. A firm named ‘Bangladesh Science House’ was selected for the purchase in each tender. A person named Abdul Awal is the chairman of this company.

The investigation committee has found that a special condition of attaching turnover in the income tax return certificate was imposed only to ensure the contract for the Bangladesh Science House. Only that specific company has the necessary documents. As a result, the Bangladesh Science House got all the five contracts of purchasing instruments.

As per the conditions of the tender, the equipment must be purchased from any country under the European Union or Germany, USA, UK and Japan. However, the Bangladesh Science House took part in the tender saying they would procure the equipment from China. Despite that, the tender evaluation committee gave the contract to the Science House breaching the tender conditions.

Meanwhile, the committee formed for receiving the equipment, accepted the equipment without checking. However, the inquiry committee formed by the ministry found fake stickers on several instruments. They didn’t even bother to open the wrap to check the delivered products.

Veterinary Public Health Sub Division chief scientific officer Muhammad Mofajjal Hossain was the head of the tender evaluation committee. The other two members of the committee are – project director Mokbul Hossain and district livestock official Shameem Hossain. They were also in the committee to receive the equipment. The other member of the committee was engineer Shahidul Islam. The probe committee found evidence of involvement of these four officials and former project director Azizul Islam in corruption and irregularities.

Head of the two committees, Muhammad Mofazzal Hossain said the equipment he was delivered was received, maintaining a proper legal process. However, tender evaluation committee member Shameem Hossain told Prothom Alo the conditions of the tender created the scope of irregularities. That special condition was put in place to ensure that the Bangladesh Science House gets the contract every time.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, former project director Azizul Islam said the liability of irregularities and corruption in the purchase of the instruments lies on the evaluation committee and the committee to receive the equipment, because he was not informed about any allegation of irregularities.

This correspondent went to the offices of the Bangladesh Science House in Banani and Mohakhali of the capital, but there were no reliable officials to comment on this regard. Later, this correspondent tried to reach company owner Abdul Awal over the phone several times, but he didn’t respond.

The DLS says there are around 45 zoonotic diseases which can be transmitted to human bodies from cattle. The main reasons behind contracting zoonotic diseases are – poor hygiene, malnutrition, lack of education and awareness and close contact with animals. The Veterinary Public Health and Microbiology Laboratory was constructed to prevent people from contracting these diseases. The laboratory was supposed to collect samples from animals which died of zoonotic diseases. However, the lab remains empty.

However, relevant officials said the DLS does not have any plans with the laboratory as yet. In such a context, planning is already underway for the second phase of the Veterinary Public Health Service Strengthening and Protection Project. That means the officials are more interested in the project rather than launching the lab. 

Visiting the lab on 15 December, it was seen that the infrastructural work of the five-storey building is finished. However, the equipment was not installed inside the laboratory. The sample collection and preservation unit was empty. The other rooms on the ground floor are not yet usable.

The administrative complex on the second floor has not been prepared yet. The works on the tissue culture lab, molecular diagnosis and media lab on the third floor have been completed. But the equipment was yet to be unboxed. The infrastructural works on the bacteriology, serology, microbiology and advanced bacteriology lab on the fourth floor is finished. However, the equipment of these labs is locked in a room on the same floor.

The DLS officials say at least 9 officials and 40 employees are needed to run the lab. However, there was no mention of required manpower in the project. As a result, it is not being possible to launch the lab despite completing the project.

Project director Mokbul Hossain told Prothom Alo he wrote to the relevant department regarding required manpower before the completion of the project.

The ministry probe report says the lab furniture was made of concrete, cement and rods on the fourth and fifth floor. It was done by the first project director Azizul Islam.

He claimed there was no allocation for lab furniture in the project. He had no other way than this.

Speaking to Prothom Alo regarding this, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) executive director Iftekharuzzaman said, “There are definitely vested interests involved in this project. No action was taken against the people involved in corruption after the internal investigation. Even senior officials cannot evade responsibility here. They should be held accountable.”

*This report appeared on the print and online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu