Govt halts flats-for-July martyrs project
News Desk :
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, reports bdnews24.com
“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, remarks made by Professor Yunus while he was serving as the Managing Director of Grameen Bank.
In 2011, Yunus filed a petition with the High Court seeking to quash the proceedings. On 24 October last year, the High Court delivered its verdict, declaring the case proceedings cancelled.
Following the publication of the full judgment, the state filed a leave-to-appeal petition, which was placed before the chamber court on 2 July.
The chamber court then set 27 July for a hearing before the full Appellate Division bench.
Additional Attorney General Anik R Haque appeared for the state during the hearing, while Advocate-on-Record Toufique Hossain represented Professor Yunus.
Speaking to the media after the hearing, Additional Attorney General Anik R Haque confirmed that the Appellate Division has rejected the state’s petition to appeal the High Court’s ruling.
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.