If this is not corruption, what is?

It is absurd that the state-run Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL), which is constructing the Matarbari power plant in Cox's Bazar, has imported two pipe cutters for Tk 93 lakh. While inspecting its shipment, custom officials have also found the price of two German-made hammers being shown as Tk 1.82 lakh. However, on the German company's website, the same items were discovered to be priced at Tk 1,668 (for each hammer) and Tk 7,232 (for each pipe cutter) respectively. This means that the CPGCBL has shown an inflated price of 55 times more for the hammers and 642 times more for the pipe cutters.

Customs officials have said that these were not the only two items whose prices were inflated. In fact, all 19 items in the same shipment had been imported at absurdly high prices. Documents from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) show that the import cost of these products has been shown as five to 18,545 times higher than the value recorded in NBR's export-import database. According to the physical examination report by the customs authorities, the price of the pipe wrench that came in the shipment is 1,053 times more than the database value, the monkey pliers 912 times more, the screwdriver 833 times more, and so on.

Despite this gross anomaly, the Matarbari Power Plant project director claimed that the prices were "normal" as they were tailor-made upon special orders. However, import documents show that the tools would not be directly used in the power plant, and are freely importable as they are used in all types of construction and routine maintenance work. Moreover, customs officials confirmed that the CPGCBL did not provide them with any special order. Additionally, NBR records show that CPGCBL had gotten away with importing various goods at inflated prices for the project before.

The claim of procuring hand tools like pipe cutters, hammers and screwdrivers by special orders is ridiculous. As experts have said, this is most likely a case of large-scale corruption that the authorities must urgently investigate. Customs sources say that multiple consignments of other agencies containing such products were also cleared in Chattogram and Mongla from October 16 to January 15. At a time when the country's economy is going through a severe crisis, it is totally unacceptable that such corruption is being allowed to pile on the sufferings of citizens who have to bear these additional expenses. We urge the authorities to take stern action to stop the culture of price inflation in public procurement.