A parliamentary watchdog on Sunday suggested tough departmental actions against the officials of the public works department for their negligence in keeping the Bangabhaban clean and tidy.
The parliamentary standing committee on the housing and public works ministry at its meeting also observed that the department officials did not repair the leak on the roof of the concrete structure covering Bangabandhu’s grave in Tungipara.
Similarly, the officials failed to keep clean the Bangabhaban’s Darbar Hall where all prestigious programmes such as swearing-in of the president and minister’s takes place.
Abdul Mannan Khan, the state minister for housing and public works, assured the watchdog that actions will be taken against the officials who are neglecting their duties.
The meeting sources say, committee Chairman ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, an Awami League MP, raised the issue of poor maintenance in the Bangabhaban.
“The floor of the Darbar Hall is not clean and the drains got clogged up. Bangabhaban is the symbol of our national prestige. Many foreign dignitaries come here; it must be kept clean at all times,” said Fazle Karim, who visited the hall couple of days back.
He said the public works department had failed to discharge its duties and asked its chief engineer Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan to clarify.
“The Bangabhaban maintenance requires only Tk10m. Where does the Tk3.3bn fund go?” he asked.
“I have told them we have no fault. We do what the Bangabhaban officials say. So, if they do not tell us, we have nothing to do,” Kabir said after the meeting.