A three-member investigation committee has been formed, and a show-cause notice has been issued to the contractor after bamboo was used instead of steel reinforcement bars (rebar) while casting footpath slabs for a bridge under construction in Basail, Tangail.
The project is worth Tk10 crore 9 lakh 92 thousand.
Basail Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Iqbal Hossain directed the committee to submit its report within one day. He confirmed the matter on Tuesday afternoon.
The contracting firm, M/S Yunus Al Mamun-M/S Zakir Enterprise (JV), was awarded the contract to construct a 90.6-metre PSC girder bridge on the Basail GC-Kauljani UP Office via Maijkhara GPS road.
Construction began in September 2022 and was scheduled for completion by February 2024, but the deadline was later extended. Around 80% of the work has been completed, with the remaining 20% yet to be finished.
Around 10:30pm on Sunday, workers of the contracting firm began casting footpath slabs using bamboo instead of rebar. Locals noticed the work and intervened, temporarily halting the construction. They also recorded videos of the work on their mobile phones.
The workers allegedly resumed the work after the locals left and completed the casting overnight.
Authorities visited the site after videos recorded by locals circulated on social media. The administration subsequently took action after reports of the incident circulated on television, in print, and online media.
The investigation committee is headed by Upazila Project Implementation Officer (Additional) Ahadi Hossain as convener. Basail Municipality Assistant Engineer Rabiul Alam and Department of Public Health Engineering Sub-Assistant Engineer Altab Hossain are its members.
Meanwhile, the Upazila Engineering Department has issued a show-cause notice to the contracting firm, asking it to explain the negligence and rectify the defective work.
Upazila Engineer Kazi Fattaur Rahman said the sections where substandard work was carried out are being demolished and will be rebuilt promptly.
UNO Iqbal Hossain said the committee would submit its findings within one day.