The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is proceeding with the purchase of illuminated decorative poles and lights worth Tk77 crore without conducting a feasibility study, while removing existing lights and poles that are still under maintenance liability with contractors.

According to DNCC tender documents, the corporation has invited bids worth Tk36 crore for 610 decorative poles and 1,010 lights along Banani Flyover to Jahangir Gate via Mohakhali Flyover, and from Jahangir Gate to Farmgate, Khamarbari and Manik Miah Avenue.

Additionally, DNCC plans to install 770 single- and double-arm decorative poles and 1,150 street lights worth Tk41.51 crore in four areas. They are Mohakhali Shetu Bhaban to Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, Pakistan Embassy to Phoenix Crossing via Shooting Club, GMG Road, Shyamoli Shishumela to Gabtoli Mazar Road Crossing, and Dhanmondi 27 to Shyamoli Shishumela, Green Road Crossing to FDC Rail Gate and Bijoy Shoroni Crossing to Rangs Flyover, read a DNCC procurement plan.

Procurement for the four areas will be conducted in four separate packages, each requiring a pre-shipment inspection. This approach, according to officials, will further raise costs. In previous tenders, DNCC included conditions for foreign factory visits, nominating four officials per tender.

According to a DNCC official, the purchases were divided into several packages because contractors who had participated in similar projects under Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) lacked experience in supplying large quantities. The RCC’s former mayor awarded the contracts to multiple contractors, but later shut down half the lights due to high electricity costs.

A senior DNCC engineer, seeking anonymity, alleged that the procurement was being pursued “to embezzle funds”. “A large portion of existing DNCC street lights are non-functional, yet instead of fixing them, authorities are focusing on costly decorative poles and underground cable networks, which are difficult to maintain in Dhaka due to frequent road digging. Moreover, the new installations will replace existing lights still under contractor liability.”

DNCC currently has defect-liability contracts with Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF) until 2030 and Sena Kalyan Sangstha until 2027, signed in 2017 and 2020 respectively.

The engineer said, “A feasibility study should have been conducted to assess sustainability, utility, and maintenance challenges, especially for underground cabling. Furthermore, there is no specific budget sanction for the project – it is being planned under a special development fund meant for emergency, not beautification, work.”

Contacted, DNCC Chief Engineer Brig Gen Moin Uddin claimed that no feasibility study was required for the project.

Meanwhile, DNCC Administrator Mohammad Azaz defended the procurement, saying, “The defect liability contracts with BMTF and Sena Kalyan Sangstha were cancelled as public procurement rules do not allow liability beyond two to three years. There will be no issue with the underground cabling, and there is budget sanction for the lights.”

However, a review of DNCC’s 2025–26 budget book by the Daily Sun found no expenditure code for decorative poles or lights.

Asked, Azaz reiterated, “It was done for the beautification of the city, and it is a necessary one.”

Meanwhile, Adil Mohammed Khan, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, questioned the integrity of the administrator as the government adopts cost-cutting policy while its representatives at DNCC take costly beautification project.

He said, “The government has a policy to conduct feasibility study when taking any project above Tk50 crore, so it needs feasibility study but before that we have to reconsider if we need the costly beautification plan in the city where City Corporation is struggling to provide basic services. The interim government was not formed for taking such costly projects but to ensure transparency and smooth services.”