The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved 22 development projects with a total estimated cost of Tk 46,419.66 crore, with the majority of the funding to come from government sources.
Of the total project cost, Tk 30,482.49 crore will be financed from the government exchequer, Tk 1,689.61 crore from project loans and Tk 14,247.56 crore from the implementing agencies’ own funds.
The approval came at an ECNEC meeting held at the NEC Conference Room on the Planning Commission premises, chaired by Chief Adviser and ECNEC Chairperson Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus.
Among the approved projects, 14 are new, five are revised and three involve extensions of project tenure.
Under the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry, three projects were approved, including the development of a connecting road from the Karnaphuli Tunnel (Anwara) to the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar National Highway up to Gachhbari, upgrading the Hili (land port)–Dugdugi–Ghoraghat National Highway (N-521) in Dinajpur along with reconstruction of narrow and dilapidated culverts and construction of rigid pavement and drains in market areas, and land acquisition and utility relocation support for the four-laning of the Dhaka (Kanchpur)–Sylhet–Tamabil highway with separate service lanes on both sides.
The Housing and Public Works Ministry received approval for the revised project to construct 672 residential flats in eight 15-storey buildings for government officers and employees at Aliganj in Narayanganj.
Five projects were approved under the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry.
These include establishment of the Dhaka WASA Training and Research Academy, a revised project for waterlogging mitigation, safe water supply and infrastructure development in Sylhet City Corporation, the Climate Resilient and Livelihood Enhancement Project (CRALEP), development of important rural infrastructure in Patuakhali district, and widening and strengthening of key upazila and union roads in the Sylhet division.
The Defence Ministry secured approval for two projects—revised infrastructure development of Mongla Commander Flotilla West and infrastructural development of the Army Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation in Savar.
One major project under the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry—the Modernisation and Expansion of Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL)—was also cleared by ECNEC.
In the social sector, the committee approved the revised reconstruction project of the Destitute Children Training and Rehabilitation Centre at Konabari in Gazipur under the Social Welfare Ministry, and the Education and Research Capacity Building project of the National Institute of Advanced Nursing Education and Research (NIANER) under the Health Education and Family Welfare Ministry.
The Education Ministry received approval for two projects—the development of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University and the third revision of the Bangladesh University of Professionals development project.
Four projects under the Water Resources Ministry were also approved.
These include sustainable water management of the Karnaphuli River and its linked rivers (Kachalong, Raikhiyang and Shalak) in Rangamati Hill District, urgent maintenance and rehabilitation of the Ganges–Kobadak irrigation project, development of the Surma–Kushiyara river basin for flood control and integrated water resources management (first phase), and the proposed second revision of the Disaster Risk Management Enhancement Project (Component-1, BWDB part).
Besides, ECNEC approved the Sustainable Agricultural Development project in the Bogura agricultural region under the Agriculture Ministry and the second-phase Darul Arqam Islamic education management and consolidation project under the Religious Affairs Ministry.
At the meeting, the Planning Adviser also informed ECNEC about 10 projects with individual costs below Tk 50 crore that had already been approved.
These include infrastructure development of selected educational institutions in Noakhali, Cumilla and Feni, an employment generation project for marginalised communities, a revised integrated and participatory noise pollution control project, a climate adaptation initiative for vulnerable offshore islands and riverine char areas, several riverbank protection and flood management projects in Brahmanbaria and Noakhali, enhancement of RAB’s operational capacity, improvement of the working environment at the Planning Ministry campus, development of Faridpur’s Tepakhola Lake, and the first revision of the Economic Census 2023.