Dhaka:The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Planning has resolved to investigate the reasons behind the financial losses associated with the Karnaphuli Tunnel project. This decision was made during the committee's second meeting, held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, chaired by Zahir Uddin Swapon, MP, who also serves as the Prime Minister's Political Adviser.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the committee reviewed the tunnel's feasibility study, implementation process, and financial difficulties. A detailed examination of these issues will be conducted at the next meeting, with cooperation sought from all relevant parties to facilitate a thorough investigation, as stated in a press release from the parliament secretariat.
In addition to the tunnel project, the meeting assessed the status of 1,153 ongoing projects under the Ministry of Planning and explored reasons for extending the duration of 256 projects in the 2025-26 fiscal year. Factors contributing to these extensions include land acquisition complications, import dependencies, difficulties in appointing project directors, inadequate feasibility studies, fund release delays, and inter-ministerial conflicts.
The committee recommended implementing effective measures to address these delays and expedite project completion. The Ministry of Planning is developing a new policy for appointing project directors, which is expected to resolve ongoing issues in the appointment process.
The meeting also covered topics such as regional disparities in project implementation and efforts to ensure equitable rural infrastructure development. On manpower matters, it was noted that recruitment for 65 officers and employees across various grades is nearing completion against 221 vacant positions in the Ministry of Planning. The committee chairman instructed the ministry to prioritize strategic workload determinations for these vacancies and complete recruitment based on staffing needs.
Attendees of the meeting included State Minister for Planning Md Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, lawmakers Kazi Rafiqul Islam, Moinul Islam Khan, Md Saiful Alam, and Md Rashedul Islam Rashed, along with members of the Planning Commission, secretaries of the Planning Division and Statistics and Informatics Division, senior officials from relevant departments, and officials from the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat. The meeting concluded with the approval of the previous meeting's minutes, pending amendments.