The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Sunday, June 15, initiated an investigation into the alleged misuse of land originally acquired for resettling families displaced by the Dhaka Elevated Expressway project.

The probe focuses on the construction of residential buildings for high-ranking government officials on this land, contrary to its intended purpose.

An ACC enforcement team conducted an operation at the Bangladesh Bridge Authority’s office in Banani, Dhaka, to investigate the allegations, according to an official press release.

Under the `Support to Dhaka Elevated Expressway PPP Project,` approximately 40 acres of land were acquired to establish a rehabilitation village for families affected by the infrastructure project.

As part of this initiative, 1,344 flats across 12 buildings were constructed to house the displaced families.

However, during the ACC’s operation, it was discovered that 1.15 acres of the same land were allocated for the construction of four additional buildings—named Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, and Karnaphuli. These buildings, comprising 280 flats, were designated for senior government officials, including those at the secretary level, who were not among the project-affected families.

The ACC team collected relevant documents from the Bridge Authority office and interviewed officials during the drive. The press release stated that the gathered documents will undergo thorough examination, and a detailed report will be submitted to the Commission for further action.

The investigation raises serious concerns about the potential misuse of public resources and land intended for vulnerable communities.

The ACC’s findings could lead to significant repercussions for those involved in the decision to repurpose the land, highlighting issues of transparency and accountability in major infrastructure projects.