Dhaka: Leaders of the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) on Saturday urged the government not to appoint any consulting firm for the proposed Payra seaport violating the existing rules and the Public Procurement Rules (PPR).

They called for retendering to appoint a consultant for the proposed Payra seaport to be built in Patuakhali.

At a joint statement, NCPSRR adviser Monzurul Ahsan Khan and its general secretary Ashish Kumar Dey made the call to the Shipping Ministry and the Payra Port authority.

They alleged that the tender was floated before the approval of allocation for the appointment of consultant which is a violation of the PPR.

Besides, a condition was imposed in the tender that only the consulting firm having its leader with experience as ship surveyor can participate in the biding, which also goes against the PPR, they said.

Among the local participant bidders, only a firm has a naval architect having such experience. But, the naval architect is controversial as he was removed from his charges at the Shipping Ministry on charges of corruption and incapacity in 2010.

If the firm of the controversial naval architect is appointed, the development activities of Payra seaport will be questioned at initial stage.