Tabarak Hossain Azad, Lakshmipur: The Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) has canceled the ongoing construction of 4,000 twin-pit latrines for ultra-poor families in Lakshmipur, following allegations of corruption and irregularities. The decision was made by the project’s director, Tabibur Rahman Talukder, two months after reports of malpractice appeared in several media outlets.

The abrupt cancellation has sparked outrage among 88 local entrepreneurs involved in the project, who now face potential losses worth crores of taka. Many claim they had already prepared all materials for the latrine construction and that the project could have been completed by December, the original deadline.

Earlier, on July 30, three national and local newspapers published reports titled “One-third of Allocation Misappropriated” and “Severe Irregularities in Lakshmipur Twin-Pit Latrine Project,” which prompted action from the concerned authorities.

Under the “Human Resource Development in Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene Project,” the DPHE was implementing construction of 9,389 twin-pit latrines across Lakshmipur, each valued at around Tk 35,000. Beneficiaries were identified in Sadar, Raipur, and Ramganj upazilas.

However, on November 10, Project Director Tabibur Rahman Talukder issued a letter to Executive Engineer Bilkis Akhter, canceling the allocation for 4,000 latrines, citing poor progress and the likelihood that work could not be completed by November 15, 2025.

Entrepreneurs alleged manipulation behind the decision, stating that technical glitches in the project’s mobile app delayed the uploading of work progress data, which also halted their payments.

“We received the allocation at a later stage, which created complications. We have already spoken with the project director and will continue discussions to keep the project running. Some technical issues with the app also caused problems.”

When contacted, Project Director Tabibur Rahman Talukder told this correspondent,

“Media reports on irregularities drew our attention. We are reviewing the matter and discussing it with the concerned officials. The Executive Engineer can provide more details.”