“Identify those whose negligence has caused flaws to project designs and wastes of both money and time. Take action against them as per rules,” she said while presiding over a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).

The Prime Minister virtually joined the meeting, held at the NEC conference room in the city, from her official residence Ganobhaban. 

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Planning Minister MA Mannan briefed reporters after the Ecnec meeting.

The Prime Minister came up with the instruction while revising the project titled ‘Construction of Important Bridge on Rural Roads’ at the meeting, said Mannan adding, “The Prime Minister also instructed us to inform her after taking action against those responsible.”

Sheikh Hasina, also the Ecnec Chairperson, expressed dissatisfaction over the inclusion of new points of operations to projects during the revision in many cases, pushing up the costs. “Didn’t you visit the project sites properly while making designs?” she questioned.

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About bridge construction projects, she asked the relevant authorities to be careful while selecting sites so that the bridges are built in suitable sites without doing favour to anyone. The bridges will have to be constructed in the places from where people are benefited, Hasina said.

The Prime Minister asked the authorities concerned not to obstruct the water flow of rivers by constructing bridges indiscriminately and maintain the proper heights of the bridges so that vessel movement and water flows in the rivers and canals are not blocked.

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“This is good that bridges are constructed across the country. But why don’t you have a master plan (over bridge construction)?” she said pointing at the authorities concerned.

Hasina asked the officials concerned to encourage new contractors not violate the law while bidding for government projects and warned against appointing the same person as project director of more than one projects.

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“Such a practice won’t be tolerated,” she said asking the Planning Minister to take proper measures in this regard.