Staff Correspondent, Dhaka

Three officials and employees of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) have been temporarily suspended over allegations of irregularities in bridge construction in Begumganj of Noakhali and Basail of Tangail.

Show-cause notices have also been issued to two engineers in Noakhali, while an official has been assigned to investigate the allegations.

The measures were announced in separate orders signed by LGED Chief Engineer Md Belal Hossain on Wednesday.

Of the three suspended employees, two are from the office of the Begumganj upazila engineer in Noakhali. They are Sub-Assistant Engineer Md Nazmul Islam and Work Assistant Md Mohin Uddin. The third is Md Hasmat Ali, a work assistant at the office of the Basail upazila engineer in Tangail.

Irregularities Alleged in Bridge Slab Work in Begumganj

Allegations of irregularities have surfaced in the construction of a bridge in Begumganj, particularly in the work involving slabs on the footpath and reinforcement bars in the railing.

A video circulated on social media appears to show a footpath slab of the under-construction bridge breaking after being struck with a foot.

Following the incident, Sub-Assistant Engineer Nazmul Islam and Work Assistant Mohin Uddin of the Begumganj Upazila Engineer’s Office were temporarily suspended.

The LGED order said departmental action would also be taken against them under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules.

Executive Engineer of Noakhali Jugol Krishna Mondal and Begumganj Upazila Engineer Abul Mansur Ahmed were also served show-cause notices in connection with the incident. They have been asked to submit their replies within seven working days.

The Superintending Engineer of LGED’s Noakhali region has been assigned to investigate the allegations and submit a report within seven working days.

Bamboo Allegedly Used Instead of Reinforcement Bars in Basail

In Basail, Tangail, allegations have emerged that bamboo was used instead of reinforcement bars in casting footpath slabs of an under-construction bridge.

The issue drew attention in the media and on social media.

Following the allegations, Md Hasmat Ali, a work assistant at the Basail Upazila Engineer’s Office, was temporarily suspended.

According to the LGED order, departmental action will be taken against him over alleged negligence of duty in connection with the use of bamboo instead of the specified construction material.

Earlier, Sub-Assistant Engineer Md Moniruzzaman had also been temporarily suspended over the same incident. The district executive engineer and the concerned upazila engineer were asked to provide explanations, while instructions were issued to take action against the contractor.

Following the reported irregularities in the bridge projects, LGED has initiated investigations alongside administrative action against the officials and employees concerned to assess the quality of the construction work and determine responsibility.