Toma Group is facing serious allegations of making a mint from the projects taken up by Roads and Highways Department and Bangladesh Railway.
The group and its co-partners were awarded Tk 32,309cr contracts in last 12 years, shows an official document.
The allegations also include substandard work, money laundering, formation of syndicate to get contracts for projects, tender snatching, and increasing costs without completing the projects in the stipulated period.
The construction firm had maintained strong ties with Obaidul Quader, former Minister of Road Transport and Bridges. Additionally, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) halted its investigation into the allegations of corruption, brought against the company, two times due to reasons unknown.
It is learnt that on the one hand, the former road transport and bridges minister used to raise questions about the quality of their work, on the other hand, he helped Toma Group get contracts for the projects.
According to a field-level investigation, carried out by the Bangladesh Post, within two months after completing the Jashore-Khulna highway reconstruction project at a cost of Tk 348 crore, the road became dilapidated.
Questions were also raised about the quality of most of Toma Group's work. Since completing the work in June 2022, accidents had been taking place regularly on this highway for the last two years. Obaidul Quader gave "Toma
Construction" the opportunity to construct the Jashore-Khulna highway partially, according to sources.
Mohd Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan Manik, chairman of the organisation, hails from Noakhali, also hometown of Quader. As a result, Manik was appointed Vice President of Noakhali district Awami League. Even he contested the January 7 parliamentary polls as an independent candidate, but could not win.
"Toma Construction" started getting contracts after Obaidul Quader was first appointed as Minister of Road Transport on December 5, 2011. Since then, for the last 12 years, this company has been awarded project work worth about Tk 2,309 crore only in road sector alone.
According to sources in RHD, apart from Mirza Azam, an influential leader of the AL, Toma Construction's chairman Manik had a good relationship with Obaidul Quader and former lawmaker Ekramul Karim Chowdhury. As a result, Manik got several tenders for Toma Construction by maintaining close ties with them.
16-km Jashore-Khulna highway project
According to sources at Jashore Roads and Highways Department, proposal was made in 2017 to build a 38-kilometre road on the Jashore-Khulna highway that would connect Rajghat in Abhaynagar with Palbari junction in Jashore town.
Work started in May 2018 after completing all the procedures, including tender. Toma Construction won the contract to build 19-km road to Chengutia via Padmabila, Rajghat. The remaining work on 19 km was done by 'Mahbub Brothers'.
The project, taken up at a cost of Tk 321 crore in two packages, was scheduled to be completed by June 2020. However, the project was completed in 2022 at a cost of Tk 348 crore.
Inspection of the work of Toma Construction on the ground showed that the condition of the 19-kilometre road from Jashore town on the Jashore-Khulna highway to Rajghat was in poor state and unfit for heavy traffic. But within a month, it started getting damaged in different places. Within a year, about 16-km road became impassable due to rutting. As a result, in June this year, RHD sent a project proposal of Tk 160 crore for the road renovation.
Locals complained that the road developed numerous potholes in a month due to use of low-quality materials. However, the implementing agency and RHD have put the blame on heavy vehicles. Meanwhile, the two contractors who rebuilt the road got the job of renovating it again.
Locals also said that there are ruts on the Jashore-Khulna highway from Palbari to Nawapara. Basundia, Prembagh, Chengutia, Bhanga Gate, Rupdia, Murli, Padmabila, and Nawapara areas of Abhaynagar have high ruts in Jashore Sadar. Minor accidents often occur on roads.
According to Roads and Highways, RHD sent a proposal to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges last June to construct concrete roads on pitched roads.
The proposed cost was estimated at Tk 160 crore. Out of this, RHD has received instructions to make concrete or cast roads in the first phase of a 4-km road at a cost of Tk 40 crore. Now that work is going on. 'Mahbub Brothers' and 'Toma Construction' have got the job.
Syed Tariqul Islam, subcontractor of 'Toma Construction', told Bangladesh Post, "Road and Highways Department could not raise any questions about the quality of our work. The road became dilapidated mainly due to overloaded vehicles. Where rutting occurs on the road, we are also doing renovation work there.”
According to a source close to RHD, there are about 1,100 contracting companies listed in RHD, but in the last 15 years, It has been seen that only 15 contracting companies have gotten 90 percent work.
The 15 contractors who got most work are Hasan Techno Builders, Rana Builders, NDE, Mojahar Enterprises, Md Moinuddin (Banshee) Limited, Taher Brothers, Mohammad Aminul Haque Limited, Masud Hitech Engineers, Spectra Engineers, M/S Saleh Ahmed, MM Builders & Engineers, Reliable Builders, Toma Construction, Mahfuz Khan Limited, and Abed Mansur Construction.
RHD engineers say that these contractors were 'blessed' by former ministers and parliamentarians. However, some of the contractors say that with the blessings of the leaders, they had to pay 'commissions' to the officials of the Ministry and RHD. They claimed that illegal income of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) officials would come out only after taking account of their assets.
Recently, 45 companies were blacklisted from six months to two years from the beginning of this year to September due to fraud and irregularities in getting construction and supply works. Among them, 13 constructors out of the 15 mentioned in this list are on the blacklist (excluding Spectra and MM Builders).
Railway mega projects
Toma Group was also allegedly involved in irregularities in railway projects. It has been accused of forming a syndicate with Max Infrastructure Ltd. They managed to get contracts worth about Tk 30,000 crore.
According to the investigation, these two organisations have worked on all mega projects of railway because they are close to the AL government. Toma and Max Group formed a strong syndicate by placing officials loyal to the syndicate in high positions at Rail Bhaban. The syndicate has monopolised railway’s all mega projects.
The construction of a new railway line from Chattogram's Dohazari to Cox's Bazar via Ramu, the Pabna Ishwardi-Dhalarchar railway, the Rajbari-Tungipara railway project, and the Akhaura-Laksam railway line construction project are just a few of the projects. Toma and Max Group have allegedly misappropriated crores of taka in public funds by extending their tenure and costs.
The much-talked-about project is the building of a new railway line via Ramu that will connect Cox's Bazar and Dohazari in Chattogram.
The majority of the loss figures are found in this project. The estimated cost of building the 101-kilometre railway along this route was Tk 834 crore in 2016. That project cost has jumped to Tk 18,000 crore. But the whole project has not been completed yet.
In 2018, the ACC started its first investigation in the wake of these syndicate complaints against the two institutions. The investigation team at that time also found evidence against the Toma-Max syndicate for snatching the Dhaka-Narayanganj dual railway construction tender and abducting officials of Chinese company. The case has not yet been settled.
On January 15 last year, the ACC started investigating again against these two groups. A three-member committee was formed. This committee also found various irregularities against Toma and Max Group directors, including corruption and money laundering by opening fake LCs.
However, that did not also see the light. The lobbying efforts of powerful circles both inside and outside the ACC also prevented this investigation process from moving forward.
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Prof Dr M Shamsul Haque told Bangladesh Post, "Now is the time to take action against all corrupt contractors and ministers, secretaries, and officials concerned."
Despite frequent efforts over phone, Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan Manik, also managing director of Toma Group, could not be reached for his comments in this regard as his phone was turned off.
