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Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud has stated that only the most essential governance reforms will be undertaken before the upcoming national election.
He made it clear that no new large-scale development projects will be initiated during this interim period.
He made the remarks while speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on Monday at the Barishal Circuit House auditorium.
Dr Mahmud emphasised the critical role of local government bodies and elected public representatives in ensuring effective delivery of social safety net programs and sustainable local development.
“Without engaging local communities and their representatives, development efforts cannot yield meaningful outcomes,” he said, highlighting the cultural and governance imperatives for reform.
The Planning Adviser acknowledged the challenges associated with ongoing mega-projects, saying, “There are projects so large that we cannot digest them, yet we can’t abandon them either.” He mentioned that only projects costing under Tk 50 crore would be considered for immediate approval and implementation.
While ruling out new large-scale initiatives, he confirmed that a few mid-sised projects—such as the six-lane Faridpur-Barishal-Kuakata highway (excluding the Matarbari project)—have received approval.
He assured that these would be implemented without displacing homes or felling trees.
Dr Mahmud pointed out that nearly half of the beneficiaries of social protection allocations were selected based on political considerations. “Without this political bias, the actual deserving population could have received more benefits,” he remarked.
He also voiced concern over irregularities in climate finance-related projects in Barishal.
Discussing energy and industrial prospects, the adviser lamented that although Bhola holds significant gas reserves, extraction and utilisation remain stalled. “If we can harness this gas for the southern region, it would pave the way for industrial growth,” he said.
To revive Barishal’s identity as the ‘rice basket’ of Bangladesh, Dr Mahmud stressed the importance of canal dredging and conservation efforts.
He further revealed that the government is exploring the feasibility of constructing a Bhola-Barishal-Lakshmipur bridge, with initial design work already underway. Plans are also in place to establish a logistics hub and an economic zone in Barishal.
