Written by The Banking Post
Thirteen major development projects worth Tk 924.76 billion have overshot their approved lifespans, prompting the government to place them under “critical” watch for urgent remedies.
According to the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), the projects have consumed their entire sanctioned tenure but achieved only 33 per cent financial progress. Ministries and divisions managed to spend just Tk 308.29 billion, leaving Tk 616.46 billion to be used within an extended 18 months.
IMED recently held a meeting with project directors of all 13 schemes to identify bottlenecks. The directors flagged 60 issues across 18 categories, with land acquisition alone accounting for nearly one-third of delays. Eight projects, including road, power, and river initiatives, are affected.
IMED Secretary Md Kamal Uddin said the projects were marked “critical” based on cost, sectoral importance, and delays. “The meeting recommended solutions to the identified issues, including dedicated land-acquisition initiatives and better feasibility studies,” he added.
A high-level meeting, chaired by Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud and Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, will now draw up an action plan with secretaries of implementing ministries, agencies, and the Planning Commission.
The list of troubled projects includes the Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor, Jhenidah-Jashore Highway, power transmission and distribution upgrades, river dredging, canal re-excavation in Chattogram, the Ichamati River project, and the Ghorashal-Palash Urea Fertilizer plant.
One of the biggest laggards is the Tk 205.26-billion project to set up a Technical School and College in each of 329 upazilas. Launched in January 2020, it was scheduled to end in December 2024 but has been extended by a year. Yet, by last July, only Tk 1.06 billion—or 0.52 per cent of funds—had been spent.
Another slow mover, the Tk 169.19-billion Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Project, has spent only 19 per cent of its allocation in four and a half years. Project officials cited land acquisition, utility relocation, and design changes as key obstacles.
Former World Bank economist Dr Zahid Hussain observed that land acquisition, design flaws, and legal disputes have long plagued projects. “Strict oversight of every project isn’t possible. Priority should be given to growth-driving and welfare-linked sectors,” he said, stressing urgent progress in health and power distribution projects to support the economy and jobs.
