Three science ministry projects to be axed to stop further fund drain

The Ministry of Science and Technology has sent a proposal to the Planning Commission to cancel the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Space Observatory project after spending Tk 62.27 million on construction.

The project was initiated four years ago to set up the facility at the intersection of the Tropic of Cancer and the 90-degree east longitude in Faridpur's Bhanga upazila.

But the ministry now wants to cancel it as the imaginary line has shifted 60 metres south, making implementation unviable under the existing cost structure.

Among the nearly two dozen ongoing projects under the ministry, the planning ministry recently received proposals to cancel three.

The two other projects are the "Establishment of Genome Sequencing Facilities at NINMAS, Dhaka and INMAS, Chattogram," which has already incurred a cost of Tk 46 million, and the "Establishment of Institute of Nanotechnology," with a reported expenditure of Tk 23.23 million.

A review of the cancellation proposals shows the three projects had a combined estimated cost of Tk 6.41 billion, of which Tk 131.50 million - around 2.05 per cent - has been spent so far.

The science and technology ministry argued in its proposals that scrapping the projects would prevent the potential waste of the remaining Tk 6.28 billion.

Officials said the interim government led by Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus, which came into power following then prime minister Sheikh Hasina's ouster amid last year's student movement, initiated a review to cut unnecessary projects from the annual development programme (ADP).

As a result, four projects under the science and technology ministry are slated for cancellation, Planning Commission sources confirmed.

They said the "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novotheater, Khulna" project had already been cancelled.

Launched in early 2022 with a budget of Tk 5.54 billion, the project expired in December last year after spending Tk 24.8 million and was discontinued without extension.

The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Space Observatory project is facing closure after just 3.1 per cent progress.

The country's first space observation centre project to mark the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was approved in 2021 and scheduled for completion by December 2024.

It is being implemented on 10 acres of land acquired in Bhanga.

According to the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division report prepared in May 2025, the project is no longer scientifically valid as the key intersection point of the Tropic of Cancer and 90° east longitude - initially selected as the site's justification - has since shifted about 60 metres south due to the earth's axial drift.

Moreover, the planned 172-foot-high observation tower under the project cannot be constructed as per the design without major structural reinforcement.

Stabilising the foundation would require significant additional expenditures, which project officials say is not viable either technically or financially.

The IMED report noted that despite the foreseeable challenges, the project was approved without an adequate assessment of technical viability or institutional capacity.

It termed the initiative "unjustified, unnecessary, and unplanned," recommending that the authorities investigate and identify those involved in its approval and planning.

Meanwhile, the government has moved to wind up the "Establishment of Institute of Nanotechnology" project, undertaken by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), citing overlapping procurement, mandate mismatch, and absence of adequate feasibility assessment. The project has been under implementation since 2023, with the aim of establishing a full-fledged nanotechnology institute in Savar and equipping it with advanced instruments to facilitate research in nanomaterials, biomedical applications, agriculture, and textiles.

It also included plans to develop skilled human resources and preserve research data for sectoral use.

However, a recent meeting of the project steering committee (PSC) chaired by the science and technology ministry's senior secretary recommended terminating the project before completion.

Project officials and stakeholders revealed that many of the instruments proposed for procurement under the project are already at the Atomic Energy Centre in Dhaka or in the process of being procured under other BAEC initiatives.

As a result, a significant portion of the project's expenditure risks duplication.

Moreover, the project titled "Establishment of Genome Sequencing Facilities at NINMAS, Dhaka and INMAS, Chattogram" is set to be discontinued due to a shortage of qualified personnel to operate the advanced infrastructure, officials said.

It is being implemented by BAEC.

A PSC meeting held recently advised completing the ongoing construction activities, settling outstanding bills, and formally closing the project without completion.

The decision comes amid concerns over the absence of skilled personnel at NINMAS and INMAS capable of operating advanced genome sequencing laboratories.

Additionally, the high costs of essential chemicals and reagents required for disease diagnosis and treatment through genome sequencing cannot be met within the commission's current revenue budget.

Officials noted that the physical infrastructure developed so far can be repurposed for other services at the two institutes.

Both institutes are affiliated with medical universities, and repurposing will enhance their nuclear medicine capabilities.

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