Economic Panel Rejects ’36 July’ Housing Project for Martyrs

Khabor Wala Desk

Published: 27th July 2025, 6:20 PM

Economic Panel Rejects ’36 July’ Housing Project for Martyrs

At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Sunday, 27 July, a total of 12 development projects, amounting to ৳8,149.38 crore, were approved. However, the highly publicised ‘36 July’ housing project for July martyrs was unexpectedly excluded from the agenda.

ECNEC Meeting: Key Participants

The meeting took place at the NEC Conference Room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, chaired by Dr Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser and ECNEC Chairman. Also present were:

Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud, Planning Adviser
Dr Asif Nazrul, Adviser on Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs and Expatriate Welfare
Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Home & Agriculture Adviser
Adilur Rahman Khan, Adviser on Industry & Housing
Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan, Adviser on Power, Energy & Communications
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser on Environment & Water Resources
Other senior ECNEC members

Approved Projects Overview

Category	Number of Projects
New Projects	6
Revised Projects	4
Extensions Only	2
Total	12
Funding Source	Amount (৳ crore)
Government Allocation	8,058.77
Project Loans	143.33
Implementing Agency Funds	52.28
Total Approved Cost	8,149.38

Why the ’36 July’ Project Was Excluded

At the post-meeting press conference, Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud commented:

“We believe the project requires proper valuation. All initiatives for the July martyrs should be centralised and coordinated. While the idea is commendable, we wish to advance it in a more systematic and proper manner.”

Reported Financial Irregularities

According to reporting in Dainik Jonokantha, the ’36 July’ project had raised serious concerns regarding inflated costs:

Item	Actual Cost (Reported)	Project Estimated Cost	Multiplicative Factor
RCC Pillar (৯০৳)	90 ৳	40,000 ৳	~445×
Lift	25 lakh ৳	92 lakh ৳	~3.68×
Substation	12 lakh ৳	63 lakh ৳	~5×
Water Pump	95,000 ৳	4.5 lakh ৳	~4.7×

Such large discrepancies—ranging from three- to five-hundred-fold—raised serious doubts about procurement and budgeting integrity, leading to the project’s exclusion from approval.

Next Steps

Authorities have indicated that efforts will continue to refine and rework the housing proposal for July martyrs in a consolidated and transparent manner. Further evaluation and restructuring of the project are expected before any future presentation to ECNEC.

This rejection underscores the government’s emphasis on fiscal responsibility, value-for-money assessments, and transparent planning, especially in symbolically significant yet sensitive public initiatives.