Fate of this mega project faces uncertainty

Special Correspondent

Uncertainty looms over the fate of Sirajganj Economic Zone, also the largest private economic zone in Bangladesh, as most of the involved in the mega project including its Director Monowar Hossain are now on the run due to massive corruption, irregularities and several other political offenses carried out during the ousted Awami League government regime.

Allegation has been intensified that, the builders mostly were country’s rich businessmen blessed by Awami League government and the initiative for establishing the ‘Sirajganj Economic Zone’ was taken mainly to becoming gainer individually than the public interest.

With the patronization of Awami League government, the involved persons of the projects have been misappropriated crores of taka gathered by different means from various sources and sectors in the name of implementing country’s largest private project. Then, the bulk portion of the money was shared among themselves instead of spending in the project works. Then, they siphoned the money abroad, it is alleged.

Meanwhile, more than one allegation has been submitted to the concerned authorities including Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) demanding investigation into the graft allegations and exemplary punishment to the involved persons.

Photo: Collected

On the other hand, Sheikh Monowar Hossain, one of the key persons and also Director of the mega project has gone hiding after fall of the fascist Awami League government. He is also accused of innocent handloom worker Yeahia Ali murder case in Enayetpur thana of Sirajganj district.

Yeahia Ali, 35, son of Shah Alam of Khukni Jhawpara village under Enayetpur Police Station in Sirajganj district was killed being bullet hit on August 4 during the Anti-discrimination Student-Public Movement. He was taken to local hospital, where the on duty doctors declared him dead.

On that day, two more students and 15 other cops were also killed and hundreds of people including students injured in the violence carried by the Awami League backed mobs.

After the incidents, Shahana Khatun, wife of the victim Yeahia Ali and also mother of two infant filed a case with Enayetpur police station in this connection accusing about 700 people including former Member of Parliament (MP) and Managing Director (MD) of Mandal Group Md. Abdul Momin Mandal and Director of Sirajganj Economic Zone Monowar Hossain.

Due to absconding of Monowar Hossain and his cohorts, the fate of Sirajganj Economic Zone project has become uncertain. Though, the entrepreneurs of the project earlier expressed expectation to go on production by next year, the dream has now turned into a nightmare as the key developers like Monowar can’t join the works in fear of arrest. They have been staying in hiding to avert arrest and harassment of police.

It is to be mentioned that, the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) granted final approval in 2018 for establishing Sirajganj Economic Zone on 1,041 acres of land near the western bank of the Jamuna river.

The licence for the project was given to a consortium consisting of nine companies and two individuals. The consortium includes – Knit Asia, Rising Holdings, Tex Town, Manami Fashion, Mahmood Fashion, Ratul Knitwear, Paragon Feed, Change Bangladesh and SM Industrial Holding. Two other prominent businessmen – Ehsansul Habib and Mohammad Kamruzzaman have also become part of the consortium, sources said.

The approval for establishing of the strategic economic zone was given aiming to boost excellent connectivity through road, river, air, and rail networks, unlocking new employment opportunities for about 5 lakh of people in the northern region including Sirajganj, Pabna, Bogura and Natore district.

It was also aimed to facilitate both the local and foreign investments, attracting substantial foreign investment to the private sector of Bangladesh.

It was scheduled to allocate at least 400 plots for setting up factories on about 60 percent of the total land. Of them, about 100 acres of land was scheduled to be allocated for small entrepreneurs, where dyeing plant was given prevalence.

Among others, establishing parks, forestry, markets, ponds and educational institutions on the rest of the land for the economic zone were also given preference. The schedule of this project also mentions that there will be more dormitories for the workers. The master plan and feasibility study of the project was carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Besides, the Japan Development Institute (JDI) made the detailed engineering plans for the project, sources said.

But now, the project future has become uncertain due to inactivity of the developers.

If the project is not implemented and plots are not allocated to the entrepreneurs in scheduled time, the dream of economic growth will not be fulfilled for the northern people.

Seeking anonymity, some interested plot seekers said, “A big sum of bribe was demanded by one of the involved persons against allocation of a plot, when I went to discuss about it. Due to the illegal demand, I was forced to come back from my decision to set up a factory in the economic zone.”

He further said, after falling of the Awami League government and fleeing of Sheikh Hasina, most of the consortium members have gone hiding like Monowar Hossain. As a result, the project implementation work has lost its pace. In this circumstance, the future of the project has hanged in the balance.

While contacted over whatsapp, Monowar Hossain, Director of the Sirajganj Economic Zone told The Daily Sky that, “I have talked with the high officials of the police department about the case filed against me. After managing, the police officials assured me not to arrest. So, I am now out of danger.”

He also declined to make any comment over the expenditure of the project showing plea that it’s a private project. He also asked to search website to find out the details.

Several attempts made by this correspondent on Saturday to contact with the Officer-in-Charge of Enayetpur Police Station over cell phone for his comment about the case filed against Monowar Hossain and others went in vain as he could not reach.