TDS Desk

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, head of the committee preparing the “White Paper on the State of Bangladesh Economy,” has claimed that the development situation during the previous government was entirely held hostage by the administration due to political influence over project approvals.

He stated that nearly all projects were approved based on political considerations, and any dissent against the development narrative was met with punitive measures.

He made the remarks while talking to reporters on Sunday after a meeting with 85 government officials, including 32 secretaries and senior secretaries, at the NEC conference room of the Planning Commission in Dhaka.

“The development narrative was discussed today, and it was clear that the situation was completely bound by the administration,” said Dr Debapriya, also a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue.

Participants shared that they felt victimised by this environment with some reporting experiences of harassment, he said.

Highlighting the lack of accountability, Dr Debapriya said political influence led to rampant corruption in project implementation.

He pointed out weaknesses in feasibility assessments and mentioned the involvement of corrupt officials and business interests in the development administration.

Many civil servants, he claimed, were involved in these malpractices due to political ambitions.

He elaborated on how – prior to development projects – land was purchased at low prices and sold to the projects at inflated rates, leading to significant financial losses for the government.

Projects were initiated in locations where they offered no real benefits, solely for the profit from land sales, he added.