Bangladesh News

A parliamentary standing committee yesterday raised questions about the propriety of a tender invitation for buying a luxury automobile for official use by Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain.

A meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications Ministry also summoned the former communication secretary who allegedly okayed the invitation of the tender mentioning the minister’s name.

Incumbent Communications Secretary Ali Kabir, who was present in the meeting held in the parliament building, also deemed the tender invitation as ‘wrong’.

“We’ve asked the former communications secretary to be present in our next meeting to clarify the matter,” Shaikh Muzibur Rahman, chairman of the committee said.

“Golam Maola Rony, a ruling party lawmaker raised the issue,” said Nazrul Islam Monzu, the lone opposition lawmaker of BNP present in the meeting.

“Under which authority the ministry invited the tender for purchasing a vehicle mentioning the minister’s name?” Monzu quoted Rony as asking in the meeting.

“Couldn’t the minister visit show rooms to select a car and then invite a tender for a vehicle like that?” Rony questioned again.

“My predecessor [Iqbal Mahmud] approved the file,” Monzu quoted Ali Kabir as saying.

“As the committee members quizzed the incumbent communications secretary more on the issue, he replied ‘the issue should be discussed in the presence of the minister’,” Monzu said.

Meanwhile, Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain is currently abroad.

In a breach of government rules, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) recently invited tenders for a cross-country automobile to be used by the communications minister.

In an advertisement published in a national daily on March 18, RHD invited formal tender for supplying a vehicle for official use by the communications minister. The last date for buying the tender forms was April 15.

Bids were to be accepted till 12 noon the following day, to be opened later on the same day.

Placed by Rafiqul Islam, executive engineer of RHD procurement and storage division, the tender invitation advertisement said the vehicle should be ‘brand new, of the latest model with a manufacturing date of not prior to July 2008, and should be designed according to the latest technology. The interior should be stylish and elegant looking’.