Communication Minister Obaidul Quader said yesterday that the government has yet to take any decision on recruiting workers for the Padma bridge project.
In reply to queries from journalists about alleged corruption in hiring manpower for the project, Obaidul said the departments concerned, including the Bridges Division and the Bangladesh Army, had not placed any advertisements for recruitment.
A ring of frauds, using fake authorisation letters of the army and the Bridges Division, have reportedly been swindling poor people out of large sums of money by promising them “jobs” in the bridge project.
Obaidul also warned the public against exchanging any money for government jobs, saying such a practice was fraudulent.
The minister spoke to the media after inaugurating two newly-built bridges, Baro Awlia Bridge and Dhamarkhali Khal Bridge, on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Sitakunda upazila.
“We hope to conclude the construction of the four-lane Dhaka-Chittagong highway by December this year,” he said, adding, “The construction work of 18 bridges, out of 23, and 232 culverts on this highway have already been completed.”
Earlier, the minister inspected different sites of the highway project.
Project Director Ibne Alam Hasan, Additional Project Director Arun Alo Chakma and Project Manager Masud Karim accompanied him.