Work on Payra Port remains suspended for a month

Jubair Hasan | Published: February 23, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Work on the Payra Port remains suspended for more than a month.
The suspension followed an alleged improper selection of a consultancy firm for conducting techno-feasibility study and devising conceptual master plan for the country's third seaport, officials said.
Following the allegation of wrong financial evaluation by a participating bidder, the Cabinet Division issued a letter dated January 13, 2015 to the Ministry of Shipping (MoS) requesting the ministry not to go for awarding contract unless the issue is settled.
But within two days of issuance of the letter, the MoS signed an agreement with a British firm for the job, prompting the Cabinet Division to issue the second letter dated January 27 last to know reasons for non-compliance of its directive.
"We're yet to get a response to the letter from the ministry in this connection," Senior Assistant Secretary of the Cabinet Division (Purchase and Economic Section) Md Mehedi Hasan said.
He said they sent the letter asking the ministry concerned for postponing awarding of contract following a complaint submitted by a group of consultancy firms led by the Kunhwa Engineering and Consultancy Ltd.
The firms alleged wrong evaluation of their financial proposal regarding techno-feasibility study of the port consultancy service.
"We asked for their opinions and reasons for signing a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with a British firm (HR Wallingford) ignoring the directive of the Cabinet Division," he said.
When contacted, Joint Secretary of the MoS ASM Mamunur Rahman Khalili said they received the letter and are now preparing their response.
"I don't know exactly when the reply will be finalised or be sent to the Division. It will take time," he said when asked about the progress in replying to the letter.
Seeing anonymity, another senior official of the ministry said they heard that the finance ministry postponed release of the fund because of the allegation of wrong financial evaluation.
"It has caused uncertainty over the progress of work on the Payra Port as we cannot take any advance move due to the allegation," he said.
The MoS, on January 14 last, signed a deal with HR Wallingford Ltd for technical consultancy and designing of the conceptual master plan for setting up the sea port at Payra in Patuakhali district.
In presence of Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, Rear Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed, Chairman of the Payra Sea Port Authority and Tim Chesher, team leader of the survey project, exchanged agreement papers at the function. High-ups of the Payra Sea Port Authority and the Ministry of Shipping were also present on the occasion.
The government took the move to build the third seaport at Payra to bring further pace to economic and development activities in the coastal division of Barisal.
With this objective in view, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation of the Payra Port on November 17, 2013.
When contacted, Mahboob Ahmed, managing director of Shipwrights Resources Limited, a sub-consultant of Kunhwa Engineering and Consultancy Ltd, said they lodged the complaint of wrong financial evaluation.
The award-winner claimed to be the lowest financial bidder in their financial offer without including Tk 50 million as contingency, which is mandatory under the Public Procurement Act (PPA) and the Public Procurement Rules (PPR).
"Our total financial offer was Tk 168.12 million including contingency amount while HR Wallingford offered Tk 137.31 million. With the contingency of Tk 50 million included, the total amount will be much higher than us," he said.
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