Two public engineers punished over 'irregular spending' in Rooppur housing project

The housing project came under scrutiny in 2019 after reports emerged of hugely inflated costs for basic items such as pillows, kettles and curtains

Two government engineers have been penalised over irregular spending in the controversial Rooppur Green City Project, part of the residential facilities for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna.

The Ministry of Housing and Public Works said on Friday that the officials were found guilty of approving “abnormal expenditures” in 2019 for the purchase of furniture and supplies for two high-rise buildings, as well as the cost of moving them into place.

Sub-Assistant Engineer Md Shaheen Uddin of the Public Works Department in Pabna has been forced into retirement, while Md Alamgir Hossain, a sub-assistant engineer posted in Rajshahi, has been demoted to a lower pay grade.

The ministry said their actions amounted to neglect of duty and direct involvement in preparing inflated cost estimates.

The Rooppur Green City Project, a housing scheme for employees working at Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant, came under public scrutiny in 2019 after reports emerged of hugely inflated costs for basic items such as pillows, kettles and curtains.

Media reports at the time prompted the authorities to form two separate investigation committees in May 2019. Both later confirmed that spending on furniture and related supplies had been significantly overstated.

According to the ministry, the departmental cases against the two engineers were proven in full. Punishments were handed down after consultation with the Public Service Commission and approval from the president.