Dev model continues to ignore public welfare

The government's reliance on foreign loans, often misrepresented as "donations," places a significant financial burden on citizens, said activist and writer Kallol Mustafa yesterday.

He was speaking at an event organised  in support of the Tree Protection Movement, a group of activists who have been protesting for 37 days at Panthakunja Park in Dhaka's Bangla Motor area.

The activists are calling for the cancellation of a section of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway that passes through Tejgaon, Panthakunja Park, and Hatirjheel Lake, arguing that the project will have severe environmental and social consequences.

Addressing a discussion on development projects funded by foreign loans, Kallol criticised the damage caused by the elevated expressway, saying that construction had destroyed the park's beauty.

He denounced the country's development model as aggressive and unsustainable.

"Despite the fall of the former authoritarian regime, the mindset that disregards people's dignity persists. The focus is on building structures, not improving lives," Kallol said, referring to the government's emphasis on large projects at the expense of citizens' well-being.

Kallol also slammed the government's portrayal of foreign loans as donations, arguing that they impose financial strains on the public. He pointed to the recent US $4.5 billion loan from the IMF, which led to an increase in VAT.

"We are following IMF directives, burdening citizens with extra VAT," he added.

He criticised the Rampal Power Plant, funded largely by loans, which he said would cause irreversible damage to the Sundarbans.

Kallol condemned the public-private partnership model as a scheme to transfer public funds to private entities. "While land acquisition for infrastructure projects costs public funds, private companies collect tolls for years, giving the government only a minimal fee," he said.

Meanwhile, the elevated expressway project has already installed 41 pillars, damaging Hatirjheel Lake and cutting over 250 trees in Panthakunja Park, sparking ongoing protests, he said.