The incident drew widespread attention after a video showing bamboo being used in the slab construction went viral on social media.
LGED Chief Engineer Belal Hossain signed an office order imposing the disciplinary action against work assistant Hasmat Ali.
According to the order, the use of bamboo instead of specified construction materials caused serious damage to the government’s image. Hasmat Ali was therefore temporarily suspended under the relevant service rules over allegations of corruption.
He will, however, remain entitled to subsistence allowance during the suspension period as stipulated by the rules.
According to LGED sources, the bridge is being constructed over the Moragangi River in the Maijhkhar area of Basail municipality under a rural bridge construction project.
The bridge is 90.06 metres long and is being built at an estimated cost of Tk 10.09 crore. A joint venture of contractors, Messrs Yunus Al Mamun and Messrs Zakir Enterprise, is carrying out the construction work.
Construction began in September 2022 and was scheduled to be completed in February this year. The deadline was later extended after the work could not be completed within the original timeframe.
The project is currently around 80 percent complete, according to LGED sources.
The alleged use of bamboo in place of steel rods in the footpath slab was recently noticed by local residents. On Sunday night, residents reportedly stopped the construction work and recorded video footage of the site.
The video was later widely circulated on social media, triggering criticism over the quality of construction and the supervision of the project.
Following the controversy, officials from the upazila administration and senior LGED officials visited the bridge site to inspect the construction work.
The suspension of the LGED employee comes as authorities face questions over whether proper construction standards and supervision were maintained during the project.
