Massive looting took place in name of mega projects: Minister

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam on Monday alleged that massive corruption and money laundering took place in the country in the name of implementing mega projects during the previous regime.

He claimed that nearly Tk 30 lakh crore had been syphoned abroad under the cover of mega projects, while the country was also left with more than Tk 20 lakh crore in foreign debt liabilities.

The minister made these remarks while addressing a tree plantation programme and foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Padma Bridge Museum at the Padma Bridge area in Shariatpur’s Jajira upazila.

He said the current government has to run the state, despite facing the consequences of those financial burdens and irregularities.

Referring to 16 major mega projects undertaken in recent years, the minister said huge amounts of money had been spent, but visible progress was absent in many cases.

“In some projects, contractors abandoned the work, while in others implementation could not even begin,” he said, adding that such irregularities caused wastage of public funds and severely hampered development activities.

The minister also said international donor agencies are now showing reluctance to finance large-scale projects in Bangladesh due to long-standing corruption, irregularities and a lack of transparency over the past 18 years.

“Development partners who once stood beside Bangladesh are gradually losing confidence, creating new challenges for future project implementation,” he added.

He said the Padma Bridge Museum is being constructed to present the history, development significance and tourism potential of the bridge to future generations.

The minister also stressed the importance of the tree plantation programme in maintaining environmental balance.

Bridge Division Executive Director and Secretary Mohammad Abdur Rouf chaired the programme.

State Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Rajib Ahsan, Shariatpur-1 MP Sayeed Ahmed Aslam, District Council Administrator AKM Nasiruddin Sardar, Deputy Commissioner Tahsina Begum, Additional Superintendent of Police Sheikh Sharif Uz Zaman and senior officials of the Bridge Division and local administration were present.

MS/AM