Editorial
Scramble over tender submission
The unhealthy spree must be held in check
NAGAR Bhaban day before yesterday was the scene of heightened tension centring around tendering for a lease of a parking space and three pieces of construction work. These are meant for a ward under Dhaka City Corporation.
The whole business involves Tk 10 crore, but it appears that it came across as too much of a temptation to let go off. Some activists of Awami League and its youth wing Jubo League could not stop short of making a virtual public demonstration of having a stake in it. They scuffled leaving five injured and landing in a hospital. They were totally oblivious of the adverse impression that the incident of chase and counter-chase and the brawl created on the public mind.
Although the submission of tender as such was not affected by the incident taking place out of the office premises and after tender dropping, nonetheless such a disturbance can have its fall-out in the shape of discouraging genuine businessmen and contractors from coming forward.
Such fractious fight over tender business for lease or construction work of variegated nature has become somewhat tendentious, albeit bringing the ruling party image to avoidable disrepute. It seems Prime Minister's repeated exhortations to refrain from such acts are falling on deaf ears. Some determined dissuasion through the party channels and specific instructions to different local bodies and government and semi-government institutions requiring of them to follow rules will be necessary. The law enforcement angle can also be put to use. All in all, there is need for the ruling party to take guard against elements who do not care to protect government's credibility and image.
Of course, everybody has a right to legitimate business but that does not mean that an unfair practice will be allowed to be adopted that could hurt business and normal flow of economic activities.
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