Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has slammed the Awami League government for misusing public money on “unnecessary” projects without thinking where the money would come from.
As an example, he cited Karnaphuli Tunnel project, which he said was implemented for the convenience of former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury.
“Saifuzzaman Chowdhury’s residence is in Chattogram’s Anwara Upazila, which is an underdeveloped area. He pushed for the Karnaphuli Tunnel project mainly for his convenience and ease of travel,” Alam said at a discussion, organised by the Development Journalist Forum of Bangladesh (DJFB) in the capital on Wednesday.
According to him, the tunnel could have been built 10 years later, when economic activities on the other side of the Karnaphuli River rose.
He also criticised the setting up of a seven-star hotel on the project site spending Tk450 crore from the state coffer. “Who will stay in that hotel?” he questioned.
Calling it a waste of money, he said, “We don’t want government funds to be squandered. The goal is to ensure efficient use of public money.”
The tunnel was inaugurated on October 28, 2023, by then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opened to traffic the following day.
However, according to tunnel authorities, while they had projected an average daily traffic flow of 18,485 vehicles in the first year, the actual number currently stands at only 3,910 per day.
Despite being operational for nearly a year and a half, the revenue from toll collections covers less than one-third of maintenance costs, turning the country’s first underwater tunnel into a loss-making project.
Experts have also expressed concerns, calling it an unsustainable initiative and unplanned decision-making.
The press secretary also mentioned a newly-built railway where only one train operates the whole day. “Every taka has its own value; we can’t spend it unnecessarily.”
He singled out the energy sector was a major source of looting money and it was left in a total mess. As a result, the country’s tax GDP ratio was just 7.3 per cent, similar to any failed state, he stated.
Alam pointed out that the stolen money was siphoned off to developed countries like Canada and the UK.
Following mass protests, the Awami League government was ousted on August 5, 2024. The interim government is now reassessing the mega projects initiated by the previous administration.
The press secretary claimed that Bangladesh economy has made a strong turnaround in just within six months, which he termed a “miracle.”
The event was chaired by DJFB President Hamid Uz Zaman and moderated by General Secretary Abu Hena Muhib.
