The construction of two murals, each depicting the portraits of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina, on both ends of Padma Bridge cost Tk117 crore, which was exorbitantly higher than the less than Tk50 crore market rate.

Sculptors and mural builders made this observation in talks with reporters, highlighting the scale of the corruption the ousted Awami League regime committed in the name of the project.

No tender was issued for the mural construction, and contractors were cherry-picked to best serve the interests of the Awami League government.

The same practice was followed in arranging the Padma Bridge inauguration programme on 25 June 2022, when a whooping Tk89 crore was spent, thanks to contractors charging three to five times more for each material.

BDST: 1709 HRS, SEPT 13, 2024
MN