The government has turned down a housing project for the families of those killed during the student-led anti-discrimination protests in July last year, amid concerns over inflated costs and allegations of corruption.

On Sunday, at the first Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting of fiscal year 2025–26, the project failed to gain approval.

“It should be properly cost-evaluated before any decision,” said Planning Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud at a post-meeting press conference.

The project was submitted by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works. It proposed building 804 flats of 1,355 sq ft each on government land in Mirpur, with a budget of Tk 7.61 billion, to be completed between July 2025 and June 2029.

“This was a well-intentioned proposal, but we didn’t approve it because we believe the cost must be assessed more carefully before the tendering process,” Wahiduddin said.

The project had earlier come under scrutiny during a Jun 16 evaluation by the Planning Commission’s Project Evaluation Committee (PEC), which flagged implementation challenges.

Subsequent media reports revealed inflated expenditure estimates and possible irregularities.

Wahiduddin further noted the lack of clarity surrounding multiple aid efforts for the same families.

“When different ministries start offering varied forms of support, overlaps and gaps become difficult to track,” he said. He stressed the need for a comprehensive and coordinated approach, bringing together all housing, stipend, and disability aid schemes for the victims’ families under one umbrella.

“There are also larger questions,” he added. “Why Mirpur? Why only Dhaka? What about families living in rural areas or other cities? The matter of inheritance will also arise when allocating permanent flats. These require deeper planning.”

Ultimately, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs will be tasked with coordinating these efforts, he confirmed.

DHAKA UNIVERSITY PROJECT

Despite the rejected flats proposal, ECNEC approved 12 projects worth Tk 81.49 billion, including a major initiative for Dhaka University’s infrastructure overhaul.

The Tk 28.4 billion five-year plan for the university includes:

• Six academic buildings
• Five male and four female dormitories accommodating 7,700 students
• Two residential buildings for teachers and officers
• A stadium, DUCSU building, and other administrative facilities

Reflecting on his own student and teaching days, Wahiduddin said: “Though income levels have improved, housing conditions in the university have worsened.”

Given the university’s space constraints, some old structures will be demolished to make room for high-rise buildings while preserving heritage sites like Salimullah Muslim Hall and Curzon Hall.

OTHER PROJECTS

• Tk 2.78 billion: Revised road construction along Karnafuli river (Kalurghat Bridge to Chaktai Canal), up by Tk 4.69 billion
• Tk 6.5 billion: Establishment and reconstruction of 20 fire stations nationwide
• Tk 7.57 billion: Upgraded logistics and maintenance facilities for the Coast Guard
• Tk 13.43 billion: Rural sanitation and canal excavation in Chattogram, cost reduced by Tk 1.94 billion
• Tk 17.91 billion: Railway maintenance and rehabilitation in the eastern zone
• Tk 2.34 billion: Mirpur cantonment officers' mess and bachelor quarters, cost up by Tk 754.5 million
• Tk 3.95 billion: Women’s income-generating training (second phase)
• Tk 1.6 billion: Expansion of museum and infrastructure at Folk and Crafts Foundation
• Tk 1 billion: Tuber crop research strengthening
• Tk 7.7 billion: Smart pre-paid metering project under BPDB, cost increased by Tk 1.5 billion