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

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:

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.