Govt probes irregularities in 1,300 projects from Awami League era

The Awami League, under Sheikh Hasina's leadership, held state power for over 15 consecutive years, from 2009 until August 5, 2024. The incumbent government has now taken the initiative to identify the economic viability and potential irregularities in 1,300 development projects implemented during that period.

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said that the goal is not only to identify irregularities but also to evaluate each project individually to assess their economic and practical effectiveness.

The Finance Minister made these remarks today (Sunday) in Parliament while responding to a supplementary question by BNP-nominated reserved seat member Rehana Akter Rana.

Mahmud claimed that the Sheikh Hasina government undertook a massive number of projects by taking loans from various domestic and foreign sources. He added that the current government is now bearing a significant burden in repaying the debts of these loans.

"Many matters are sub judice, and many are in the process of being reviewed. However, we are evaluating each project individually," the Finance Minister noted.

Regarding the progress of the evaluations, Mahmud said that the current government has inherited nearly 1,300 projects that are at various stages of implementation. Evaluations of many projects are nearing completion, while many others are at an intermediate stage.

The Finance Minister pointed out that after reviewing the necessity and economic viability of the projects, the government has already decided to cancel some of them. However, some projects cannot be cancelled as they have reached the final stages of implementation.

"The financial liabilities arising from these projects, particularly the responsibility for repaying the loans taken against them, also have to be borne by the current government," Mahmud added.

According to the Finance Minister, Bangladesh had never taken on such a massive amount of loans in such a short period before. He said the current government is going through an extremely difficult time to repay these loans.

The Finance Minister also shared four fundamental principles being adopted for public investment. These are: ensuring 'Value for Money', expected returns on investment, employment generation, and environmental considerations.

The Finance Minister claimed that these issues were not properly considered in many projects undertaken by the previous government.

Steps to Simplify Tax System

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said that the government has taken steps to simplify and increase transparency in the country's tax system in order to eliminate the existing fear among taxpayers regarding tax determination.

He made these remarks while replying to a supplementary question from opposition party (Jamaat-e-Islami) member Mohammad Abdul Alim from the Bagerhat-4 constituency.
Ameer Khosru acknowledged that there is a general fear among taxpayers that if they file tax returns, especially revised returns, they will come under audit and subsequently face harassment. He admitted that the fear surrounding tax compliance in the country is real.

"With the goal of encouraging people to come forward to pay taxes voluntarily, the government has taken several initiatives to simplify the tax system. This fear exists for various reasons, which is why people are reluctant to come under the tax net. That is why the government has already started working to simplify the overall tax process," the Finance Minister added.

No Immunity for Corrupt Individuals

Finance and Planning Minister said that legal action will continue against those involved in corruption, and no one will be granted any form of immunity.

He said that a company will not be shut down merely because its owner or an individual associated with it faces corruption allegations.

The Finance Minister made these remarks while replying to a supplementary question from National Citizen Party (NCP) Member of Parliament Abdul Hannan Masud (Noakhali-6).

"The legal identity of a corporate entity and the personal liability of an individual accused of corruption must be considered separately," the Finance Minister noted.

He added, "If there are corruption allegations against an individual, a case can be filed against that person and they can be brought to trial. However, a company is a legal entity."