Md Mojahidul Islam:
Teletalk Bangladesh is facing scrutiny over its 4G mobile network expansion project, valued at Tk29 billion. Despite a technical evaluation committee (TEC) deeming a particular company syndicate ineligible, concerns persist that a corrupt network of officials is pushing to award them the project.The project, aimed at expanding mobile broadband to the union level, is financed through a Tk20 billion grant from China and Tk9 billion from the Bangladesh government.The Economic Relations Department (ERD) pre-selected three Chinese companies for the bidding process: China International Telecommunication Construction Corporation (CITCC), Yunnan Construction and Investment Holding Group (YCIH), and China Machinery Engineering Corporation Company (CMEC).
CMEC, the leading company in the joint venture, has a history of being blacklisted by the Chinese government for corruption and irregularities.This history also impacted a previous BTCL project in 2013, where CMEC was involved in installing the Telecommunication Network for Digital Bangladesh (NTN).Insiders suggest the limited tender opportunity has created an environment for a rigged bidding process.YCIH and CITCC allegedly submitted tenders in a way that would ensure China Machinery wins the contract. All three companies are accused of violating tender rules, such as China Machinery mentioning alternative products from multiple unknown companies, and CITCC and YCIH failing to deposit the required security and submitting combined technical and financial proposals.This single-syndicate procurement process raises concerns about the potential for low-quality solutions and increased corruption.
Dr. Md Forkan Uddin, a member of the technical evaluation committee, emphasized the importance of adhering to public procurement rules to ensure service quality.Teletalk is currently considering whether to re-tender the project or instruct China Machinery to rectify the issues in their proposal. Managing Director Nurul Mabud Chowdhury stated that they are seeking guidance from the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) and ERD on how to proceed, given the violations and ineligibility of all three companies. Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority officials have confirmed that Teletalk has the authority to issue a new tender if necessary.(Writer is an IT expert, a technology book author and a past president of the Bangladesh ICT Journalist Forum (BIJF).He can be reached [email protected]).
