JS subcommittee formed for investigating corruption in work order given to GATCO
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
A three-member parliamentary subcommittee was formed Tuesday to investigate the alleged corruption in tender process of Kamalapur Inland Container Depot (ICD) for awarding work order to GATCO during the BNP coalition rule, reports UNB.
Entire top order of the past BNP government, including former premier Khaleda Zia, landed in jail in the GATCO graft case filed by the past interim regime amid an anti-corruption crackdown amid state of emergency.
Headed by Shamsul Huq Chowdhury, the subcommittee was formed at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Shipping Ministry with its Chairman Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury in the chair.
Briefing journalists at the Jatiya Sangsad media centre, Mr Chowdhury said the committee also recommended cutting short the term of Kamalapur ICD tender and procurement process to three years from earlier 10 or seven years. During the BNP regime, the ICD tender and procurement process were made for seven years.
He said the meeting also suggested shifting the ICD from the congested Kamalapur to Gazipur area.
The head of committee Mr Chowdhury told journalists that there are over 8,000 posts remaining vacant under the Shipping Ministry, of which 520 security posts are vacant alone at Chittagong Seaport.
He said, "The meeting recommended that the Shipping Ministry make recruitment for those posts on an urgent basis."
The lawyers at the meeting also discussed further development of seaports, particularly Chittagong Port.
A joint team of the parliamentary standing committee and the Shipping Ministry will visit some countries in mid-January next to gather experience of the developed management of the seaports of those countries for further development of Bangladesh seaports.
At the briefing the parliamentary standing committee member and Shipping Minister, M Shajahan Khan, said the present government has taken some pragmatic steps to activate Mongla seaport and make it profitable.
"The level of loss being incurred by the port has been reduced following those steps," Mr Khan said. He added that they would be able to make the southwestern seaport profitable in next five to six months.
The Shipping Minister informed that inauguration for circular water transport around Dhaka city on trial basis would be held at Aminbazar on November 22.
Entire top order of the past BNP government, including former premier Khaleda Zia, landed in jail in the GATCO graft case filed by the past interim regime amid an anti-corruption crackdown amid state of emergency.
Headed by Shamsul Huq Chowdhury, the subcommittee was formed at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Shipping Ministry with its Chairman Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury in the chair.
Briefing journalists at the Jatiya Sangsad media centre, Mr Chowdhury said the committee also recommended cutting short the term of Kamalapur ICD tender and procurement process to three years from earlier 10 or seven years. During the BNP regime, the ICD tender and procurement process were made for seven years.
He said the meeting also suggested shifting the ICD from the congested Kamalapur to Gazipur area.
The head of committee Mr Chowdhury told journalists that there are over 8,000 posts remaining vacant under the Shipping Ministry, of which 520 security posts are vacant alone at Chittagong Seaport.
He said, "The meeting recommended that the Shipping Ministry make recruitment for those posts on an urgent basis."
The lawyers at the meeting also discussed further development of seaports, particularly Chittagong Port.
A joint team of the parliamentary standing committee and the Shipping Ministry will visit some countries in mid-January next to gather experience of the developed management of the seaports of those countries for further development of Bangladesh seaports.
At the briefing the parliamentary standing committee member and Shipping Minister, M Shajahan Khan, said the present government has taken some pragmatic steps to activate Mongla seaport and make it profitable.
"The level of loss being incurred by the port has been reduced following those steps," Mr Khan said. He added that they would be able to make the southwestern seaport profitable in next five to six months.
The Shipping Minister informed that inauguration for circular water transport around Dhaka city on trial basis would be held at Aminbazar on November 22.