Projects approved if in Sheikh family's name: Tk 510b for 82 projects

Under pressure from influential former ministers and lawmakers, the ousted Awami League government undertook several unnecessary projects.

The names of Sheikh Hasina and her family members were strategically used to ensure that these projects were easily approved.

Although some projects have been completed, they are useless, resulting in a waste of public funds.

In the past 15 years, a total of 82 development projects, costing over Tk 510 billion, were launched under the names of Sheikh Hasina and her family. Of these, 38 projects have been completed, while work on the remaining 44 is ongoing.

These projects, which were meant to establish recreation centers, safari parks, attractive buildings, planetariums, ICT centers, universities, medical colleges and digital labs, bore the names of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his two daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, and his sons Sheikh Kamal and Sheikh Russell.

Additionally, 43 more projects under the names of Sheikh Hasina’s family members were awaiting approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) before the government’s fall.

Three months before stepping down, Sheikh Hasina expressed her frustration in an ECNEC meeting, instructing that no new institutions should be named after her. During an ECNEC meeting on 9 May, she reiterated that no further projects should use her name. Nonetheless, the practice continued, with enthusiastic ministers and government officials proceeding with projects under the Sheikh family's names. These details have been found analysing official documents.

A list of 82 projects under the names of Sheikh Hasina and her family members is compiled solely from the Annual Development Programme (ADP). Out of these, other autonomous bodies of the government including Bangladesh Climate Change Trust (BCCF) undertook projects named after the Sheikh family members. Moreover, numerous private institutions established in the past 15 years also bore the Sheikh family's names.

Reviewing the ADP documents from the planning commission, it was found that the Sheikh family’s names were most frequently used for educational institutions under the education ministry.

Twelve projects featured the names of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina. The second highest number of names were used in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, with 11 projects.

The third, fourth, and fifth places were occupied by projects under the ministries of textiles and jute (eight projects), youth and sports (seven projects), and science and technology (six projects), respectively.

On a district level, it has been found that many projects named after the Sheikh family, although completed, remain unused. Some infrastructures are lying idle due to a lack of staff, while others had no practical application.

These projects were initiated under the influence of powerful ministers, in political considerations, or by proactive government officials, and often at the advice of contractors. Consequently, no one dared to question the expenditure in these projects.

After the interim government led by Dr Muhammad Yunus took over on 8 August, discussions have begun about renaming institutions and facilities named after Sheikh Hasina and her family. One such change has already been made.

On 27 August, the ‘Sheikh Hasina National Youth Development Institute’ was renamed to ‘National Youth Development Institute’, removing Sheikh Hasina’s name.

An interim government advisor has said that a policy is being formulated to address renaming of institutions and projects named after Sheikh Hasina and her family.

Now questions have been raised over institutions and establishments named after Sheikh Hasina and her family members under the development projects.

On 19 August, Wahiduddin Mahmud met with officials from the planning commission, where he emphasized the need to reduce project costs due to high inflation and to avoid unnecessary projects. He instructed the commission to create a priority list of development projects.

Mahmud also said that many projects are being implemented with excessive spending, with no accountability. In this regard, reforms are needed. This information has been learnt from the working paper of the meeting.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, a high official of the commission said a list of unnecessary projects is being prepared. The allocation of these projects will be suspended.

In 2017, a Software Technology Park was constructed in Jessore in Sheikh Hasina’s name at a cost of Tk 3.05 billion. However, the park has failed to achieve its intended goals and remains unused, with losses mounting. The park is now being used for weddings and social events to mitigate these losses.

In 2022, an IT Business Incubator was inaugurated at Chattogram University of Engineering and Technology under Sheikh Kamal’s name, costing Tk 1.17 billion. Despite being operational for over two years, the incubator has not gained traction and remains largely unused with its facilities such as computers and dormitories lying idle.

Teacher at the department of computer science and engineering of CUET and incubator's first project programme director Mir Muhammad Saqi Kawsar, speaking to Prothom Alo said the incubator is not coming to use due to a lack of coordination and proper initiative.

The incubator’s goal and purpose was to foster entrepreneurship and assist in scaling up to larger businesses. But that has not happened in so many years. The government and the university authorities could not make the incubator effective for entrepreneurs. That is virtually lying idle.

The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib High-Tech Park in Sylhet is also in disarray. The park was inaugurated last year. The IT park was supposed to serve ICT, Telecommunication and ICT-based industries.

However, the park is predominantly occupied by electronic, hotel, and restaurant businesses. Local residents are disappointed with its development.

The Rahmaniya Supermarket has been allocated over 1.8 acres of land in the park of Sylhet. The proprietor, Syed Mohsin Ahmed, speaking to Prothom Alo, said that they plan to develop a boat club, restaurant, and hospital.

Another organization, ELB, has been allocated one acre of land in the park. They initially planned to set up a data center, but changed their plan.

Prothom Alo talked to two secretaries who were posted when the projects named after Sheikh family members were undertaken. Preferring not to be named, they said that excessive costs were often approved for ICT projects.

Officials at inter-ministerial meetings noticed the irregular expenditures but lacked the courage to question this. The presence of the prime minister and her family’s names on these projects made questioning their necessity or costs impossible, the former secretaries added.

Another former secretary said that projects named after the Sheikh family could not be halted, as influential figures were behind these projects. They got these projects approved for their localities.

A section of the government officials also took advantage of using the names of the Sheikh family.

Zunaid Ahmed Palak, a former minister of state for ICT, also secured projects under the Sheikh family’s names, including the Hi-Tech Park named after Sheikh Mujib, the IT training center under Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Russel Digital Lab, and others. Many of these projects have been completed but remain ineffective.

On 28 August, Md Nahid Islam, advisor on postal, telecommunication, and information technology, announced a plan to rename high-tech parks, software technology parks, and IT training and incubator centers across the country to reflect district names.

He cited the lack of expected outcomes from these projects as the reason for this change.

In Tarakanda of Mymensingh, a social entertainment park named after Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has recently been approved with an estimated cost of Tk 480 million. Land acquisition for the project is just beginning. The park is near the house of former public works minister Sharif Ahmed.

The project was approved under pressure from Sharif Ahmed, despite objections raised by a planning commission official regarding its necessity in a small area. The project was approved as it was in the name of Bangabandhu.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Mymensingh public works circle superintendent engineer Muhammad Mostafa Kamal last Saturday said, "Tarakanda is a small town. There is no necessity to establish such a social centre in the village. We sent our opinion citing the project as less important to the public works ministry at the last week of August."

Ignoring the objections of environmentalists, a safari park named after Bangabandhu was approved last year for construction in the protected Lathitila forest of Juri Upazila in Moulvibazar. The area is part of the electoral constituency of former environment minister Md Shahab Uddin, who managed to push through the approval for the park two months before the 12th national parliament elections. The park will be established on 5,631 acres of reserved forest land, with an estimated cost of Tk 36.4 billion.

According to the planning commission, the project is deemed trivial and could potentially be canceled.

Several officials from the commission told Prothom Alo that questions could not be raised if a member of the Sheikh family’s name was included in the project.

Despite objections regarding the necessity of the Moulvibazar Safari Park, these concerns were disregarded. Similarly, a project to construct a square named after Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the Talaimari area of Rajshahi city was approved four years ago, with a budget of Tk 660 million. While the project is nearing completion, local stakeholders have argued that it was unnecessary and that it represents a waste of public funds.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) executive director Iftekharuzzaman said there were multiple ways to embezzle public money during the Awami League government’s tenure. One of these was to take up projects in the name of Sheikh family. Everyone knew that using the Sheikh family’s names facilitated bypassing accountability. This practice gave rise to injustice. In this way a dynastic rule was built up by misusing power.

Iftekharuzzaman said that the public backlash against the ruling party’s dynastic practices played a significant role in the student-led protests.
He urged the interim government to identify and hold accountable those who facilitated these projects under the Sheikh family's names to prevent future misuse of power and promote a more transparent governance system.

*This article, originally published in Prothom Alo print and online editions, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam.