TDS Desk:

The recently ousted Awami League government has been accused of embezzling billions of taka by extending deadlines and increasing costs for various road and communication development projects across the country. Despite this, many of these projects remain incomplete even after the extended deadlines, causing significant public sufferings.

Allegations have surfaced that during the Awami League’s tenure, hundreds of unnecessary or less important projects were initiated in the road transport and communication sectors. By repeatedly extending deadlines and increasing costs, thousands of crores of taka have reportedly been stolen.

In light of the country’s current economic crisis, Planning Adviser Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud said that unnecessary projects may be cut down. He has also expressed support for halting the implementation of less important ongoing projects.

Additionally Road Transport Adviser Dr. Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan told a visiting World Bank delegation that the previous government (Awami League) initiated numerous projects, many of which were costly and economically unsuccessful. Discussions are underway to cancel or suspend less significant and over-budgeted projects, especially those with minimal progress.

An investigation revealed that the costs of 15 major projects initiated during the Awami League government nearly doubled after multiple deadline extensions. The original estimated cost for these projects was Tk77,000 crore, but due to overestimation, the expenditure has now reached Tk137,000 crore. This pattern is observed across nearly all development projects, where both deadlines and costs have been repeatedly increased, leading to the misappropriation of large amounts of public funds.

Experts in the road transport sector believe that if these projects had been properly planned and implemented within a timeline, the additional expenditure wouldn’t have been necessary, representing a major waste of national resources. The nation is also missing out on the expected benefits from these projects due to delays, which have added further public suffering.

A notable example is the ongoing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project from the airport to Gazipur. Initially planned to be completed within four years, the project has now stretched to 12 years, with the deadline extended to December 2024. Its original cost estimate was Tk2,039 crore, but after two revisions, it has increased to Tk4,268 crore, adding an extra Tk2,228 crore in costs.

Other significant projects where costs have nearly doubled include the Padma Bridge, the Karnaphuli Tunnel, the Dhaka Elevated Expressway PPP project, the Padma Bridge rail link, the Dohazari-Ramu-Gundum railway line, and the BRT project.

For instance, the Padma Bridge construction was initially projected at Tk10,161 crore, but delays and complexities, including the withdrawal of World Bank funding, led to cost increases, with the final estimated expenditure now at Tk32,605 crore. Similarly, the Chittagong City Outer Ring Road project, launched in 2011, remains unfinished after a decade, with its cost rising from Tk856 crore to Tk2,675 crore.

However, concerns have been raised about the excessive costs of road construction in Bangladesh. According to a report by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), the cost of constructing a four-lane road in Bangladesh is between Tk12-15 crore per kilometer, significantly higher than neighboring India (Tk10 crore) or China (Tk10-12 crore).

Dr. Shamsul Hoque, a professor at BUET, has said that various international studies have shown that road construction costs in Bangladesh are significantly higher than in other countries. This is attributed to a lack of capacity in project estimation and evaluation, a lack of competitive bidding, and the high price of land.