Sylhet Bureau :
Various irregularities have been reported in the ongoing construction of wash blocks in 71 government primary schools in Zakiganj upazila of Sylhet district. Headmasters and guardians of various primary schools have alleged that work is being done haphazardly with low-quality construction materials and unskilled workers.
It is learned that under PEDP-4, construction work of one-story or two-story wash blocks has started in 71 government primary schools in Zakiganj in the 2024-25 financial year according to the school building. Headmasters and guardians of various primary schools in the upazila have complained that work is being done haphazardly with low-quality construction materials and unskilled workers in these construction works.
Morshed Laskar, land donor of Harikandi Government Primary School, said that work on the second-story wash block is underway at a cost of 18 lakh taka. It was seen on the spot that low-quality bricks, concrete and sand are being used. Moreover, the contractor is violating the work schedule by giving less cement and rods and using unskilled workers. When the school principal contacted the higher authorities on Saturday with the help of locals, the authorities stopped the work.
Headmaster Masud Alam said that the irregularities started from the foundation stone. The people of the contractor are doing irregularities according to their wishes without paying any attention to the words of local people and teachers of the institution.
Abdullah Al Masud, headmaster of Haqib Ali Chowdhury Government Primary School, said that water is falling at the junction of the roof of the wash block with the academic building. The contractor has not taken any advice from the school authorities in determining the boundaries of the wash block. They work invisibly during school closures or at night.
3 contracting companies are operating 71 schools in Zakiganj. A person named Selim Ullah is working on sub-lease of 18 schools from Bahar Enterprise. Bahar Uddin, the owner of Bahar Enterprise, was abroad and spoke to the subcontractor Selim Ullah. He said that work is being done properly as per the work order. No irregularities have been committed in the work.
In this regard, Masum Mia, the acting Upazila Education Officer of Zakiganj, said that work has been stopped in some schools due to allegations of irregularities. Measures have been taken to improve the quality of work in some schools.
Azad Kazi, Deputy Assistant Engineer of the Public Health Engineering Department of Zakiganj, said that there have been allegations of irregularities in work in some schools. We are taking measures to correct this.
