Chinese contractors held at gunpoint

That two officials of a Chinese company can be held at gunpoint, and that too inside the Rail Bhaban (head office) is quite unthinkable. These two individuals had gone to submit tender documents and they were literally hijacked by a gang who brandished firearms and took them to the 8th floor of the building which is apparently more secluded than the rest. They cried out for help and rail officials came out of their rooms and the gang members panicked and took the lift down. Later on, they were escorted down to the submissions office where documents were submitted and as it turned out, Power China Ltd. won that bid. The whole incident raises some very important questions.

How did armed assailants enter the building in the first place and where was the security guarding such an important government institution? The fact that this company turned out to be the lowest bidder for the project in question begs the question whether a rival company had gotten hold of this information somehow and wanted to cower a foreign investor company into submission. Whatever may be the case, it sends absolutely the wrong signal to foreign companies wishing to invest in the country.

This incident will not boost foreign investors' confidence in Bangladesh. Furthermore, it begs the question on another level. Precisely how safe are we when there is obviously serious security lapse in important places such as the Railway headquarters. Tender-related violence is not a new phenomenon but this latest occurrence under the very noses of law enforcers must be dealt with expeditiously to restore our national image.