Dhaka is reeling under skyrocketing inflation, severe housing shortages, water crises, and crumbling public services. Yet, in a move sparking nationwide outrage, Muhammad Yunus’s interim government has greenlit the construction of 71 luxury flats for ministers on Minto Road in the capital.
The project, comprising three towering buildings, carries an estimated cost of 786 crore taka, with an additional 20 crore for furnishings and lavish interiors. Each flat spans 8,500 to 9,300 square feet, complete with rooftop swimming pools and premium amenities—all funded by taxpayer money.
Leading newspaper New Age has slammed the decision as not just a fiscal blunder but a profound political and ethical lapse. The interim administration, which pledged sweeping reforms, now mirrors the elitist structures it vowed to dismantle, prioritizing luxury for the powerful elite.
Critics argue this violates principles of equitable resource distribution and procedural justice. It erodes public trust, betrays the spirit of the July 2024 uprising, and entrenches elite power ahead of February 12 elections. Bangladesh, a lower-middle-income nation grappling with inequality, climate disasters, urban overcrowding, and deficient social services, cannot afford such extravagance.
Millions live in precarious slums, schools lack basics, and hospitals are overwhelmed. These palatial flats, far beyond any official need, expose a stark misalignment: state priorities favor political comfort over citizen welfare.
Major parties eyeing post-election power remain silent, neither questioning the spend nor promising reversal. This isn’t neutrality—it’s complicity in a system that demands accountability now more than ever.