Allegations of Substandard Bricks and Materials in Tk 8 Lakh Warehouse Project at Comilla University

Serious allegations have surfaced regarding the use of low-quality bricks, cement, and sand in a warehouse construction project at Comilla University (CU), budgeted at approximately Tk 8.57 lakh. Stakeholders have raised concerns over the project's durability and transparency, given the materials' apparent mismatch with the allocated funds.

The warehouse, located behind the Faculty of Business Administration, has been contracted to 'Samir Enterprise'. The work is ongoing, but complaints claim subpar materials are compromising structural integrity.

When contacted, Samir Enterprise Manager Md. Kalam stated, "We maintain quality in all our work. If you have such complaints, please inform us in writing, and my MD will take appropriate action. As far as I know, no such lapses have occurred, as the university's engineering and registrar sections oversee everything. If there were issues, they would have notified us to ensure quality compliance."

Executive Engineer Md. Billal Hossain, responsible for project supervision, remarked, "Our university has senior officials who approve everything; I just monitor the work. They resolve any problems. From my observation, the quality isn't poor at all. When the first batch of 1,000 bricks arrived, we raised concerns, and they were replaced. As far as I know, the issue has been resolved."

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Mohammad Haydar Ali, learning of the allegations through this inquiry, said, "I've just heard this from you. If you receive such complaints, inform us immediately so we can act promptly. The walls are already built—if we'd known earlier, we could have avoided any potential damage."

The project, valued at Tk 8,57,568, underscores ongoing scrutiny of public university infrastructure spending amid broader calls for accountability in Bangladesh's higher education sector. University officials have pledged a review, but no formal investigation has been announced yet.