State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam has said that a gift offered by a contractor to an engineer out of personal goodwill and from the contractor’s profits should not necessarily be regarded as a bribe. However, he warned engineers against compromising construction standards or engaging in financial misconduct in the implementation of development projects.
He made the remarks on Tuesday (10 November) while attending the inauguration of an induction and training programme for newly appointed Upazila Assistant Engineers at the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka.
Speaking about gifts from contractors, Shahe Alam said an engineer could accept a gift if a contractor voluntarily offered it out of satisfaction and from the profits earned through the work. He drew a distinction between such gifts and arrangements involving the deliberate reduction of construction quality to generate illicit financial gains.
“If a contractor, out of happiness, gives an engineer a gift from their profits, that does not fall under bribery. You may accept it. But you must not compromise the quality of work to save Tk 1 million and then divide the money, with Tk 500,000 going to you and Tk 500,000 to me,” he said.
His comments came as he addressed newly recruited engineers who are expected to take on responsibilities in the implementation and supervision of local infrastructure projects across the country.
The state minister also highlighted the scale of development activities currently being undertaken by the LGED. According to him, projects worth approximately Tk 120,000 crore are currently under implementation, while another Tk 90,000 crore worth of projects are in the pipeline.
Given the substantial volume of public investment involved, he urged the newly appointed engineers to remain alert and exercise professional judgement while carrying out their duties. He stressed that they must not allow any individual or group to exert undue influence over them for personal or financial gain.
Shahe Alam expressed confidence that the arrival of the newly recruited engineers would accelerate the department’s activities. Their appointment, he said, would contribute to the pace of development work, provided they performed their responsibilities with commitment and professionalism.
He also made it clear that there would be no room for negligence in project implementation. Maintaining construction standards, he said, must remain a priority at every stage of development work.
The LGED plays a significant role in Bangladesh’s local infrastructure development. Its responsibilities include the construction and maintenance of rural roads, bridges, culverts, markets and other public infrastructure. These projects are particularly important for improving connectivity, supporting local economic activities and ensuring access to essential services in rural communities.
The quality and durability of such infrastructure depend heavily on proper supervision, the appropriate use of construction materials and compliance with technical specifications. Engineers working at the local level are therefore expected to play a crucial role in ensuring that public funds are used effectively and that projects deliver their intended benefits.
Against this backdrop, the state minister’s remarks placed particular emphasis on the responsibilities of newly appointed engineers. While he distinguished voluntary gifts from financial arrangements involving compromised construction standards, his warning against sharing money saved through substandard work underscored the need to protect the quality of public infrastructure.
He reiterated that no compromise would be tolerated when it came to the standard of development projects, urging the new engineers to resist outside pressure and carry out their duties responsibly.
