Expenditure in Martyrs’ Housing Project Inflated by Up to 45 Times

A recent analysis of the expenditure for the ‘36 July’ housing project, intended for the families of martyrs and the injured, has raised allegations of corruption. Preliminary investigations reveal that the project’s costs have been inflated by 3 to 45 times for various components, sparking widespread concern among the public.

According to the proposed budget analysis, the actual cost of an RCC pillar is Tk 900, but it has been recorded at Tk 40,000. Similarly, a lift costing Tk 25 lakh has been listed at Tk 92 lakh, a substation worth Tk 12 lakh has been budgeted at Tk 63 lakh, and a water pump valued at Tk 95,000 has been shown as costing Tk 4 lakh. This means the project’s boundary wall costs are inflated by 45 times, bed lifts by four times, substations by five times, and even water pumps have been procured at nearly five times their actual cost.

With such inflated expenditures, the ‘36 July’ flat project proposal is being presented at an ECNEC meeting today. The proposed project is riddled with irregularities and excessive cost overruns at every stage. Although the project was initiated during the interim government’s tenure, various officials are blaming each other for the irregularities in expenditure. Some claim that these errors occurred due to the pressure to implement the project quickly. However, no clear explanation has been provided as to why such expenditures were approved without proper scrutiny. The government plans to allocate over 800 flats under this project. Fully funded by the government, the proposed project, costing Tk 761.16 crore, will be implemented by the National Housing Authority. It has been reported that no specific guidelines, master plan, or design have been developed for the project so far. On June 16, the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting at the Planning Commission highlighted various complexities, including issues related to flat ownership and determining the heirs of martyrs. A senior official from the Planning Commission stated that every project must have specific regulations and guidelines for its implementation, along with details about its achievements and beneficiaries. However, this project lacks such information. An official from the General Economics Division added that before approving a project, its environmental and ecosystem impacts, master plan, and detailed allocation descriptions are necessary, but these are absent in this case. According to the official, the project appears to have been rushed, and a proposal to revise the Development Project Proforma (DPP) has been suggested. Sources further indicate that, despite the lack of specific guidelines, the project is likely to be approved soon. An anonymous source revealed that the project, intended for martyrs’ families, is nearly finalized and will be approved at the DPP stage.