National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Organiser for the Southern Region Hasnat Abdullah, MP, has criticised Prime Minister Tarique Rahman over alleged favouritism in government projects, questioning the decision to award a Tk 700–800 crore Farmer Card project without a tender.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Hasnat alleged that a company owned by a friend of the PM was set to receive the project, raising questions about transparency in government contract allocation.

He contrasted the prime minister’s reportedly frugal lunch habits with what he alleged was the spending of his associates.

“We hear that the Prime Minister himself spends just 150 taka on lunch. But does he keep track of how much it would cost to feed 4.5 crore people one meal at 150 taka per person—and that his friends are allegedly consuming an equivalent amount of money in a single meal?” Hasnat wrote.

Hasnat alleged that the Ministry of Agriculture had handed the project to the Army for implementation under the government-to-government (G2G) mechanism.

He further claimed that the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF) was distributing portions of government projects to selected individuals and companies through subcontracts.

According to Hasnat, several important projects, including canal excavation, had also been allocated through similar arrangements over the past five months. He said some contracts were being distributed through the electronic government procurement (e-GP) system, while other methods were being used in some cases.

Questioning the process, Hasnat asked why a major public project worth Tk 700–800 crore was allegedly being allocated without a tender. He also demanded transparency about who was receiving subcontracts through BMTF, the criteria for selecting contractors and those involved in the process.

“Have government projects now become a means of distributing public contracts among people of one's own choosing?” he asked.

Hasnat called for a comprehensive investigation into the contract allocation process over the past five months, saying anyone found responsible for irregularities, favouritism or financial kickbacks should be held accountable regardless of political affiliation.

Addressing Tarique directly, Hasnat wrote: “If your thrift is an example to follow, what should the people call this ‘hunger’ of your friends?”