Allegations of $7.52 Billion Extra Spending on Mega Projects, Yet No International Audit in a Year

After the caretaker government took office, a white paper committee and a taskforce were formed to assess the country’s overall economic situation and redefine economic strategies. Their report revealed that eight mega projects implemented during the Awami League government incurred $7.52 billion—or 9,17,440 crore taka (assuming 1 USD = 122 BDT)—in additional expenditure compared to the initial estimates. Poor planning, implementation delays, and corruption were identified as the main reasons for the cost overruns. However, the caretaker government took no further action on this matter. Stakeholders believe that just as international audit firms were appointed to investigate irregularities and corruption in the private banking sector, international audits should also be arranged for the extra expenditure in mega projects.