Bangladesh, June 19 -- A controversial luxury resort project on Albania's protected Vjosa-Narta Lagoon has become the center of one of the country's most heated political and environmental disputes in recent years. What began as a debate over development in a sensitive ecological zone has evolved into a broader controversy involving alleged land fraud, organized crime investigations, environmental concerns, and questions about the role of international investors connected to the family of US President Donald Trump.

The project, which has been publicly praised by both Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, has triggered weeks of protests across Albania. Demonstrators have accused the government of prioritizing wealthy investors over environment...