Dhaka: Green and civil rights activists and senior politicians on Saturday urged the government not to appoint any controversial consulting firm for the Payra Sea Port violating the existing rules and the Public Procurement Rules (PPR).  

In a joint statement, leaders of the six organisations and some eminent citizens also called for re-tendering to appoint a capable and acceptable consultant for the Payra Seaport in Patuakhali.  

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

Besides, a condition was mentioned in the tender that only the consulting firm which leader has the experience as ship surveyor can participate in the biding, that also goes against the PPR and the existing rules, the statement read.  

Among the local participant bidders, the statement said, 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 Department of Shipping (DOS) by an order of Shipping Ministry on charges of irregularities, corruption and incapacity in 2010.  

The firm had been blacklisted at the supervisory panel (shipbuilding supervising team) at DOS since 2007 according to a High Court direction, the statement said, adding, ‘If the firm of the controversial naval architect is appointed, the development activities of Payra Sea Port will be questioned at initial stage.’

The signatories to the statement include senior politician Pankaj Bhattacharya, Manzurul Ahsan Khan, Nurur Rahman Selim, human right activist barrister Sadia Arman, CPB central leader Ruhin Hossain Prince, former lawmaker advocate Tasnim Rana, Citizens Rights Movement president Major (retd) Mafizul Haque Sarkar, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan (BAPA) joint secretary Mihir Biswas, Bangabandhu Lawyers Council central leader Enamul Hoque Molla, Green Club of Bangladesh (GCB) president Advocate Hasan Tarique Chowdhury, Bangladesh Jatri Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad president Tusar Rehman and Nirapad Sarak O Noupath Bastabayan Jote member-secretary Rafiqul Islam Sabuj.