Patuakhali Correspondent : An enforcement team of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has conducted a field operation in Madarbunia Union of Sadar Upazila of the district on allegations of irregularities in the construction of a dam under the Water Development Board at a cost of Tk 1.7 million.

The enforcement operation was conducted from Monday (June 16) morning to noon under the leadership of Tapas Biswas, Assistant Director of the ACC’s integrated Patuakhali District Office.

During the campaign, the team members inspected various parts of the embankment construction project in response to the complaint. During this time, they measured and reviewed various engineering aspects including the width, slope, and length of the embankment. In addition, they spoke to the local people and collected their opinions.

ACC sources said that in addition to allegations of using low-quality materials in the construction work, there have also been allegations of a lack of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the project.

During the drive, the officials of the Water Development Board were requested to provide project documents and financial accounts. It was informed that a detailed report will be submitted to the commission after reviewing these documents.

When asked about this, ACC Assistant Director Tapas Biswas said, “In light of the complaint, we initially visited the project area and took some measurements. Now we will collect and verify the detailed project documents. If the irregularities are found to be true, necessary legal action will be taken.”

Local residents said that there have been various complaints about the construction of the embankment for a long time. In some places, the height and width of the embankment are less than required, which poses a risk of erosion during the rainy season.

Commenting on the matter, Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board, Md. Rakib, said, “The work is ongoing, the work period is over, and the bill is pending. We have not received the ACC’s letter yet, and we will take action accordingly once we receive their instructions.”

It is worth noting that the ACC is conducting regular enforcement operations as part of its efforts to ensure public participation in preventing corruption and to be active at the field level to prevent irregularities.