Highest Tk 508.35 billion and lowest Tk 292.30 billion were transacted in bribe to construct and develop roads, highways and bridges during the last 15 years through creating a culture of rule violation and deviation in implementing road sector projects that saw highest budget allocations, TIB findings reveal.
According to a research conducted by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), political leaders, bureaucrats, engineers, contractors, etc., were involved in illegal tradeoff from the road and bridge development projects under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) during the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 to FY 2023-24.
The amount varies from 23 per cent to 40 per cent of the work orders as Tk 1.27 trillion was spent under the RHD's projects during the period.
It also reveals 5.0 to 6.0 per cent bribery occurred at the stage of work orders to contractors, 6.0 per cent to 8.0 per cent while visiting construction sites and realising bills.
"Some 11 to 14 per cent bribery trade (Ghush Banijjo) has taken place centering on work order and bill realization," said the study, stating that Tk 139.80 billion to Tk 177.92 billion in tradeoff was transacted through RHD and concerned ministries.
A nexus of politicians, contractors and high government officials was found in construction stage of 10 to 20 per cent projects.
The TIB has conducted the research titled 'Good governance challenges in roads and highways development' which was revealed in a press conference at its Dhanmondi office.
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman attended it where Senior Research Fellow Md Julkernayeen and Mohammad Mostafa Kamal shared the key findings of the research works.
The TIB prepared the research paper based on the information of RHD's government funded projects and interviews of over 73 people and visiting 25 project sites during June 2023-September 2024.
Talking about the findings, TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman said a tripartite nexus has been created with engagement of politicians, government officials concerned and contractors and corruption found from the grassroots to the highest levels.
If the tri-party "syndicate" is not broken, no anti-corruption efforts will succeed, he said suggesting political reform and ensuring transparency and accountability in entire process of the project planning to implementation.
Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) as the second highest budget recipient among the government agencies and ministries, received Tk 278.03 billion for 158 projects in FY 2023-24.
Of the total allocation, RHD got highest Tk 240.77 billion to implement 145 projects.
Since 2009, Tk 1.69 trillion was spent through RHD's 65 divisional offices, 22 circles under 10 zones building a 22,476 kilometre network of highways, regional highways and district level roads.
Senior Research Fellow Md Julkernayeen said role of well-planned and safe road infrastructure is significant for the country's economic development and poverty alleviation.
Though the TIB research revealed the findings after studying the government funded projects below Tk 10 billion, it tries to relate the data with overall RHD projects estimating minimum or maximum level of corruption, irregularities and briberies at different tiers after interviewing 73 people including RHD, Planning Commission, IMED, Environment, contactors, local leaders and journalists.
Besides, the TIB team held 13 discussions and visited 25 completed project areas in RHD's 21 divisional areas to get levels of accuracy in the findings.
The TIB finds the budget allocation for the RHD started increasing since FY 2013-14 and 72 per cent of the total expenditure was awarded to just 15 contractors.
Besides, cases of approval of a project in 24 hours, no tree was planted against an allocation of Tk 7.8 million under a project.
It also further states, almost all projects have tendency to violate government directives for navigation, waterflow, submergible or elevated road construction saying that four projects have totally disobeyed executive orders.
Trend of formulating projects below Tk 250 million without feasibility study on technical, environmental, climate change, disaster management aspects were found.
smunima@yahoo.com
