Development projects worth around Tk1.70 crore in Dumuria Upazila of Khulna are facing uncertainty as the upazila administration’s development fund has almost run out of money.
The fund crisis has put several projects, including rural road construction, tube wells, religious institutions, educational facilities and other public infrastructure works, at risk of cancellation.
According to the upazila administration records, the development fund had a balance of Tk7.15 crore on 30 July 2025, while the revenue fund stood at Tk35 lakh .
However, at a meeting held on 21 May this year, officials said the balance in the development fund had dropped to only Tk3,729, while the revenue fund had increased to Tk3.30 core.
The figures show that nearly Tk7.15 crore was spent from the development fund within ten months, raising questions among local stakeholders over the utilisation of the money.
Meanwhile, the Upazila Engineering Department’s development projects worth Tk1.70 crore for the 2025–26 fiscal year are now at risk of being stalled due to the shortage of funds.
Contractors have already stopped 54 projects under seven packages, involving around Tk 80 lakh, after failing to receive work orders despite winning tenders through a lottery process held on 21 May.
Some contractors said they had completed assigned works and submitted bills, but later found that there was no money available in the development fund for payment.
The affected projects include road development, tube wells, mosques, temples, madrasas, educational institutions and paving works. Projects worth another Tk90 lakh are still at the tender invitation stage.
Sheikh Shahinur Rahman, president of the Dumuria Upazila Contractor Welfare Association, said contractors had suffered financial losses after spending money to participate in the tender process.
“More than 100 contractors submitted bids for projects under the Upazila Engineering Department. Each contractor spent around Tk7,500 on the tender process. Many won projects through the lottery, but work orders have not been issued,” he said.
He added that a meeting between contractors and the Upazila Executive Officer was held, but no solution had been found.
Dumuria Upazila Engineer Muhammad Darul Huda said the tender process was completed following government regulations, including newspaper advertisements and a lottery system.
“Work orders cannot be issued because there is no money available in the upazila development fund,” he said.
Upazila Executive Officer Sabita Sarkar said issuing work orders without sufficient funds would create further complications.
“If contractors are given work orders, they will complete the projects and submit bills. But there is no money in the fund to pay them,” she said.
Md Kamrul Islam Sardar, executive engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Khulna, said several projects under the 2025–26 fiscal year had been affected due to the fund shortage.
“If work orders are issued without available funds, contractors will complete the work and later face difficulties getting their payments,” he said.
The shortage of funds has raised concerns that important development activities in Dumuria may remain stalled unless additional financial support is arranged.