During the tenure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Dhaka WASA Managing Director Taqsem A. Khan allegedly carried out recruitment trade and approved project expenditures at will for nearly 15 consecutive years. On February 3, 2023, at Ekattor Television, I published an investigative report detailing how Taqsem A. Khan used political influence to carry out various irregularities and questionable practices within Dhaka WASA.

An investigative report has uncovered serious allegations of irregularities and corruption in outsourcing and bill distribution activities at Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Dhaka WASA). More than 2,000 outsourced workers have reportedly been recruited, costing the utility over BDT 40 crore per month, while the same bill distribution work has also been outsourced to three courier companies for only BDT 40 lakh per month, raising questions about duplication and misuse of funds.

According to Dhaka WASA documents, the organization currently employs 5,140 staff, including permanent employees and three other categories: contract-based staff, daily wage workers (no-work-no-pay), and outsourced workers. Financial reports show that the number of outsourced workers increased from 1,870 in the 2020–21 fiscal year to 2,170 currently, with their monthly salaries exceeding BDT 4 crore.

Although records claim that nine outsourcing companies supplied these workers, many employees alleged they were actually recruited directly by senior WASA officials. In some cases, companies listed as outsourcing providers denied having any employees working at WASA. For example, Modern Telecom, a CCTV business in Motijheel, was shown on paper to have supplied 115 workers, but the company denied any involvement.

The largest number of outsourced workers—923 personnel—were shown under the name of the Dhaka WASA Retired Officers and Employees Association. However, association leaders stated that their name was used without authorization and that recruitment was carried out by WASA management.

Several other listed outsourcing firms, including Housing Trade Center, Roots Development, Sajeda & Co, Active International, and Nagor Seba, could not be traced or were found not to be legitimate outsourcing companies.

The report also revealed that WASA management allegedly bypassed procurement rules by splitting recruitment into multiple “lots” across 10 zones. Each lot was valued just below BDT 2 crore, which is the maximum financial authority of the Managing Director, allowing approvals without higher oversight.

Despite employing a large outsourced workforce for billing assistance, Dhaka WASA separately hired four courier companies to distribute water bills to 384,000 customers. These firms are paid BDT 8–9 per bill, amounting to BDT 40 lakh per month. Some of these courier companies reportedly received work without proper tender processes, and at least one firm lacked courier registration at the time of contract award.

WASA management reportedly labeled the project as a “pilot” to bypass board approval, even after covering all service zones. Members of the WASA Board stated they were unaware of these arrangements and called for an independent investigation.

The report concludes that transparency, accountability, and independent inquiry are urgently needed to establish good governance at Dhaka WASA and protect public interest.