Bangladesh confronts mounting inflation, housing emergencies, water woes, and deteriorating public amenities. Shockingly, the Muhammad Yunus-led interim setup has sanctioned 71 luxury apartments for ministers on Dhaka’s prestigious Minto Road, valued at 786 crore taka, plus 20 crore for opulent setups.
Each of the 71 units in the three new structures measures 8,500-9,300 square feet, equipped with rooftop swimming pools and elite features, all at public expense—a decision now under fierce scrutiny.
A New Age investigation brands it a moral and political debacle, perpetuating the very elite privileges the government swore to eradicate. It contravenes resource equity, dents credibility, spurns 2024 uprising ideals, and cements power structures pre-February elections.
This lower-middle-income nation battles profound disparities, climate vulnerabilities, urban pressures, and service shortfalls—yet opts for ministerial extravagance while millions endure slums, barebones education, and healthcare collapse.
Far from functional housing, these pool-adorned behemoths symbolize misplaced priorities: elite luxury over communal uplift. Major parties’ election-bound reticence—no challenges raised, no commitments to scrap—hints at systemic entwinement, galvanizing demands for transparent, people-first governance.