Reza Mahmud :
The project of establishing seven light houses of the Department of Shipping (DoS) has faced serious instability which pushed the scheme near to closing, sources said.
Officials of the department alleged that huge irregularities made the project a sorrow state of anarchies.
The ‘Establishment of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System and Integrated Maritime Navigation System (EGIMNS)’ project started on January, 2014 with Korean loan assistance and GoB funding.
The project widely known as radio station project or light house project which will have to install seven modern coastal lighthouses and radio stations in Cox’s Bazar, St. Martin’s, Kutubdia, Nijhumdip, Kuakata, Charkukrimukri and Dublarchar.
The proposed light houses and radio stations aimed to monitor minimum 100 kiliometer in the deep sea.
It had planned to establish two building and one tower in every site.
As per the plan, the project had to complete on 2016, but it failed to get light of implementation allegedly in the past nine years due to widespread irregularities.
Allegations found that several corrupted officials in the project want the project to be closed by creating anarchies to hide their widespread corruption.
The budget of the project was Tk 370.89 crore initially..
Among those allocation, Korean loan assistance was US$ 3.75 crore which was equivalent to Taka 292.12 crore.
After nine years the budget of the project has increased to Tk 779.49 crore after hiking the allocations in three times and its tenure will be ended on June 2024.
Sources said the project become vulnerable due to huge irregularities and corruptions of the concern officials including its project directors.
The first project director Captain Jasim Uddin was transferred suddenly and the then Chief Engineer of the department, SM Nazmul Haque,was made the PD.
PD Nazmul Haque was allegedly involved in massive corruption which plagued the project seriously.
In December 2021, Abu Sayeed Md. Delwar Rahman was appointed as the new PD of the project.
The DG of the shipping department has submitted written allegation against him to the Shipping Secretary in March 20 last.
The project directors have been changed thrice in the meantime but the work of the scheme completed only 35 percent till June 2022.
After then, Commodore Md Nizamul Haque appointed as the Director General of the Department of Shipping on November last year and gear up the project.
Since then, about 70 pc of the work has been completed in the last several months.
But then, the speed of the work paused again due to irregularities and corruptions of concern officials in the project including its PD.
Meanwhile, the shipping ministry formed a probe committee over the irregularities including DG Shipping which the probe committee already concluded its probe report.
When contacted, Commodore Md Nizamul Haque, Director General, the Department of Shipping told The New Nation on Monday, “I have submitted written allegations against the Project Director, Abu Sayeed Md. Delwar Rahman about his financial irregularities.”
Contacted, PD Delwar Rahman told The New Nation, “I have executed my power of spending money as per the rules of the government.”
In this situation, the ministry has conducted several meetings in April2 and 18 to solve the unstabilities and bring speed in the work of the projects but no result yet to get.