Contractor denies graft, blames ‘vibration, wiring faults’ in parliament sound system failure

Questioned by the ACC, the contractor dismisses allegations of corruption, citing technical faults and prior work deficiencies instead

The firm at the centre of allegations involving parliament’s malfunctioning sound system has defended its work, telling investigators that repeated failures stem from “technical errors” such as loose wiring and vibrations caused by lawmakers thumping their desks, rather than financial misconduct.

Zahidur Rahim Joarder, CEO of Communication Technology Limited, offered the explanation on Thursday after being grilled for two hours at the ACC headquarters in Segunbaghicha.

Zahidur defended his firm by pointing to Amanat Enterprise, the company involved in the first phase of the system's renovation.

"The initial part of the reform was done by Amanat Enterprise. Due to their lack of technical experience, we had to step in for the final stages," he claimed, suggesting that the current malfunctions are a legacy of his predecessor’s incompetence.

The ACC investigation, which began in mid-January, involves allegations that Zahidur and his company, in collusion with certain Public Works Department (PWD) engineers, “misappropriated” billions of taka under the guise of repair and maintenance works.

The firm is also accused of "over-invoicing" imports to syphon government funds abroad.

While Zahidur blames technical errors, the ACC is looking into reports that the work was funnelled through individuals with no background in audio engineering -- including a grocery shop owner.

Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni has already labelled the situation a "scam", noting that nearly Tk 40 million was spent on repairs that have yielded no results.

"Even after spending so much, you can’t hear the sound properly," the chief whip said, adding that an enquiry committee is currently investigating whether the glitches are a result of corruption or "sabotage".

While the ACC continues to collect documents from the PWD to verify the audit trail, the parliamentary probe is racing to find a solution before the budget session, with the chief whip vowing "strict action" against those responsible for the embarrassment.

On Mar 12, the opening session of the parliament, proceedings were halted due to sound failure.

Similar issues occurred on Apr 5, affecting even the speaker’s microphone and forcing a 40-minute adjournment.

ACC Assistant Director Prabir Kumar Das questioned Zahidur at the ACC headquarters for two hours starting at 10am on Thursday.