Published: 17 August 2026, 08:53Update: 17 August 2026, 08:53A 10-storey administrative building under construction at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology.
There have been allegations of using expired cement and cheap rods in the 10-storey building under construction at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST). There have also been doubts about the completion of the building within the stipulated time. However, the contractor, Desh Unnayan Corporation, has denied these allegations.
According to the university’s engineering department, development work worth about Tk 1,000 crore is currently underway under the university’s Further Development Project-2. Out of this, a 10-storey administrative building is being constructed under a Tk 53 crore contract with the Bangladesh Development Corporation. The same organization is also constructing another 10-storey residential hall under a Tk 87 crore contract.
On the spot, it is seen that there are several bags of expired cement in the place where construction materials are kept. Some of these cements expired in April, September and December last year. Some cements expired in January this year but are still being used. In addition, cement produced in July is also being used.
At this time, it was also seen that SAS (Shafiul Alam Steel) company rods are being used in building construction. According to Wikipedia, SAS is not among the top 10 of the 40 rod manufacturing companies in the country. Experts from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Shabiprabir claim that various experts, including BUET or Shabiprabir, generally do not recommend using these rods.
While visiting different parts of the building under construction, it was seen that the rods were exposed in some places on the roof due to insufficient concrete. At the same time, the students also complained about the use of low-quality stone and sand in the work.
Officials of the contracting company said that the work has been slow so far due to financial crisis. According to the UGC’s deadline, the construction of the building is supposed to be completed by December 11. However, according to the information provided by the site engineer of the contracting company, approximately 30 percent of the project has been completed as of August 9.
In this regard, Professor Dr. HMA Mahjuz of the University’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department said, “Using expired cement does not provide sufficient strength. Sometimes expired cement becomes hard like stone. As a result, it is not mixed well and the desired quality and strength of concrete cannot be ensured. It is better not to use cement if it has been stored for more than two months.”
Regarding the rod, he said, “If the test confirms the PWD’s prescribed 60 ksi (kilopound per square inch) standard, then there is no logical reason to object to its use. However, we always recommend using good brand and quality rods.”
Regarding the use of stone, he said, “In civil engineering, according to the gradation of stone, there should be a certain ratio of stones of different sizes from small to large. Stones of the same size should not be used. In this case, it is necessary to have stones of a maximum size of 19 millimeters and a minimum size of 10 millimeters.”
Regarding the exposed rods on the roof after casting, he said, “It is very harmful if the rods are exposed. This can cause rust on the rods and cause stress on the surrounding concrete, causing cracks to appear. There should be at least 0.6 to 0.8 inches of concrete cover on the rods in the roof casting. And in the case of columns and beams, 1.5 to 2 inches of concrete cover is usually required, so that the rods do not come into direct contact with air and moisture.”
Regarding the complaint, Ariful Islam, project manager of the Country Development Corporation, said, “There is no question of using expired cement. We are using running Lafarge cement. We put the old cement down and put new cement on top of it.” However, the construction workers claim that these expired cements are being used for work.
Regarding the use of the rod, Ariful Islam said, “It is a PWD-listed rod, so we can use it. No contractor in Bangladesh uses BSRM or KSRM rods. It is not possible for me to use it.”
Regarding the exposed rods on the roof, he said, “The rods should not be protruding from the roof. Maybe it happened due to the carelessness of the mechanic.” When asked about this, he said, “You are harassing me by asking me to know all this.”
When an attempt was made to contact the university’s chief engineer, Joynal Islam Chowdhury, on his mobile phone, he hung up. However, the project’s site engineer, Joynal Ahmed Chowdhury, said, “The expiration date of the cement is not written on the bag. Expired cement is not used here either. We try to use good quality rods. However, the contracting company does not always use good brand rods for profit. I have no commission here.”
Despite repeated attempts to contact the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr. Khairul Islam, his statement could not be obtained. Later, when Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Sajedul Karim was contacted, he expressed his inability to comment on the matter. He said that according to the DPP ordinance, it is the responsibility of the Vice-Chancellor to comment on this project.
