THE persistent culture of time and cost overruns of project is unacceptable. Despite the government鈥檚 instructions for agencies to complete projects with the original budget and by the original deadlines, most continue to undergo revisions. The cost of two, out of three, projects for the construction of mass rapid transit lines are now likely to increase by about Tk 1,600 crore, with deadlines extended. Authorities are reported to be reviewing proposals to increase the project cost of the MRT Line 6 extension on the Motijheel鈥揔amalapur section by about Tk 191 crore while the estimated cost of the MRT Line 1 project could increase by about Tk 1,400 crore. The deadline for the MRT Line 6 project may be extended by at least a year while progress in the other two projects also remains sluggish, requiring extension. The 31.241-kilometre MRT Line 1 on the Dhaka airport鈥揔amalapur section was scheduled for a December 2026 completion, but the overall progress now stands at only 6 per cent.
Officials cite reasons such as delays in land acquisition, changes in the designs and the depreciation of the taka against the dollar as major reasons for the cost and time overruns, routinely given whenever there is a proposal to revise the budget and the deadline. Such recurring explanations indicate persistent failures on part of implementing and monitoring agencies to ensure that projects are delivered on time and within the budget. Corruption is also widely believed to be a significant factor contributing to the culture of delayed project implementation. This culture also questions the credibility and integrity of the costly feasibility studies and project proposals that are prepared in initial stages as well as the overall competence of implementing agencies. Development experts have consistently pointed out that projects are frequently approved without sufficient feasibility studies or effective stakeholder consultation. Studies have further identified a range of systemic issues such as inadequate feasibility assessments and technical designs, delays in land acquisition and fund management, limited institutional capacity to handle multiple projects simultaneously, protracted tender processes, irregularities and corruption as primary drivers of time and cost overruns for projects.
What is evident is a serious lack of transparency, accountability and institutional capacity in development project implementation. The issues should be addressed with urgency and sincerity as the timely project execution is crucial for ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in development. The government, therefore, needs to explain to the pubic the reasons for time and cost overruns in the cases at hand.