Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Chief Economist of the White Paper Committee, asserted that nearly all projects approved during the previous government's tenure were influenced by political considerations.

He stated, "Furthermore, those who opposed such practices faced repercussions. The development agenda was tightly controlled by administrative authorities, severely limiting accountability."

Dr. Bhattacharya made these remarks on Sunday (Oct 3) during a meeting at the NEC building of the Bangladesh Planning Commission.

“Several officials present at today’s meeting acknowledged that they had been adversely affected by this system, with some experiencing direct harassment,” he added.

He emphasized a critical lack of accountability that allowed for widespread misappropriation of funds in development projects. Feasibility studies were often inadequate, leading to projects that primarily benefited a select group of corrupt officials, politicians, and business interests.

Additionally, some civil servants reportedly supported these projects to gain political leverage.

Dr. Bhattacharya also shed light on the exploitation of the land acquisition process. In certain instances, land was purchased at low prices prior to project approval, only to be resold to the government at inflated rates once the project commenced.

“Some projects were initiated not for genuine developmental purposes, but rather to profit from land sales, even in areas deemed unsuitable,” he remarked.

Officials at the meeting expressed their concerns regarding professional constraints, pointing out that frequent transfers and political pressure undermined their ability to perform effectively. This environment of pressure contributed significantly to major irregularities in project implementation.