Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL) has allegedly negotiated with a company which dropped from the process to supply coal to Matarbari Power Plant violating rules of the tender*.

Recently on May 27, the technical evaluation committee for the project rejected the financial proposal of the consortium led by Unique Cement Industries. However, a section of CPGCBL is trying to revive the canceled financial proposal for getting illegal benefits, sources claimed. The project officials held ‘special agreement’ meeting recently to allow the consortium to import coal by reviving the canceled financial proposal. Regarding the allegation, CPGCBL Managing Director Abul Kalam Azad denied the favour to a special consortium. “There is no such complaint. Tender evaluation is still going on. Nothing more can be said during the assessment period,” Azad said upon a quarry from media on Tuesday. The commercial production of the second unit at the 1200 megawatt (MW) coal-fired plant at Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar is scheduled to commission in last week of June. Experimental power generation of the second unit started from December 24 last year, but commercial production of the first unit started from the 26th of the same month. Four consortiums in participation of local and foreign companies are participating in the tender process submitted proposals following proper procedures, but three organizations were excluded on the pretext of ‘lack of financial strength’. The technical committee held meeting on May 27 where the officials rejected all financial proposals. On May 29, one of the three consortiums which were canceled due to ‘arbitrariness’ of the project officials sent a letter to senior secretary of the power department for re-evaluation of the tender. But till now the company has not received any kind of reply. As per the terms of tender, there was a condition of import experience of at least 1.2 million tons of coal, which is a relevant condition for tenders related to coal importation. But for the purpose of giving unfair advantage to a particular firm, the condition was relaxed and experience of importing 1.2 tons of iron, fertiliser, chemical, cement or food grains was included as a qualification, which created an ‘unequal competition’. Among the organizations participating in the tender, a consortium has experience in supplying coal to power plants by participating in international tenders. “We were declared ‘technically ineligible’ without considering our extensive experience and success in coal supply and without informing us of any details and without asking us any questions on technical matters and giving us any opportunity to explain,” said an official of a consortium requesting not to be named. The tender process became questionable by giving work order to a single organization in a ‘biased’ manner despite the fact that the tender of a single organization is declared technically qualified and competitive and not profitable for the state, according to the organizations participating in the tender. Regarding the allegations in tender process, technical committee member and CPGCBL Executive Director (Finance) Md. Shahid Ullah was contacted several times over the phone and via text message, but there was no response from him.