Allegations of financial irregularities have emerged against the Mechanical Department of Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC), with claims that a bill of approximately Tk 5 crore was secretly paid to a contractor seven months after the expiry of a Tk 113 crore project. The allegations, which recently became public, have sparked widespread discussion in the city.
According to sources within the city corporation, the payment was allegedly approved after officials accepted a Tk 1.25 crore bribe and used backdated documents to facilitate the transaction. Chat among local officials and residents has intensified over claims that three senior corporation officials worked together to authorize what has been described as an illegal payment.
Around four years ago, the city corporation invited tenders for the procurement of various modern vehicles and heavy equipment—including trucks, rollers, bulldozers, and other machinery—for its Mechanical Department under a project valued at approximately Tk 113 crore. The tender was floated during the tenure of former Mayor Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa.
The project was intended to improve municipal services across the city's 33 wards, including 18 newly added wards. However, City Corporation sources claim that 34 vehicles have remained unused for nearly three years and have been stored in the corporation's stockyard at Mahiganj-Dimla. In addition, around 15 heavy vehicles, including bulldozers, have reportedly been left exposed to the elements at the Water Supply Division premises in the Radhaballabh area without proper storage facilities. At least six modern vehicles are also alleged to have become unusable.
According to City Corporation sources, the project officially ended on 30 June 2025. By that time, contractors had reportedly supplied more than 100 vehicles and pieces of equipment under six procurement packages.
Sources further allege that around Tk 2 crore remained unspent when the project ended and should have been returned in accordance with government regulations.
However, allegations suggest that after the project's expiry—and without any approved extension—a contractor, in collusion with three senior City Corporation officials, claimed to have supplied additional vehicles and spare parts worth approximately Tk 6 crore several months later.
The sources allege that officials initially demanded Tk 1.5 crore in exchange for approving the payment, before allegedly settling for a bribe of Tk 1.25 crore.
It is further alleged that forged allocation requests and backdated documents were prepared to justify the payment. According to the allegations, the process was coordinated by former Administrator Ashraful Islam, Acting Chief Executive Officer and Secretary Rakib Hasan, and Acting Superintending Engineer Ali Azam.
The three officials are accused of preparing and approving a file authorizing payment of more than Tk 5 crore despite the project's expiration. As no project funds were reportedly available after the project's completion, the payment was allegedly made from the City Corporation's own revenue fund, which consists largely of taxes paid by city residents.
Sources claim that the matter was kept confidential until details of the payment recently became public.
When contacted, former Administrator Ashraful Islam acknowledged that the Tk 5 crore payment had been made.
Asked why the payment was made from the City Corporation's revenue fund several months after the project's expiry, he said he was unaware of the details. According to him, the file had been forwarded by Acting Chief Executive Officer Rakib Hasan and Superintending Engineer Ali Azam, and he merely signed it. He stated that responsibility for the matter rests with those two officials.
When contacted, Superintending Engineer Ali Azam said that another official had served as the Project Director (PD) for the project. He declined to make any further comments.
Despite repeated attempts, Acting Chief Executive Officer Rakib Hasan, who allegedly signed both the payment instruction and the cheque, did not respond to requests for comment.
Former Mayor Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa, under whose administration the original tender was issued, said he had overseen the tender process and that the project expired on 30 June 2025.
He stated that all vehicles intended to be procured under the project had already been received before the project's completion. He added that he had also recently learned of allegations that a Tk 5 crore payment had been made several months after the project's expiry.