The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved a project worth Tk 3,751.09 crore to set up some 50 upazila-level technical training centres in a bid to impart skills among uneducated and semi-educated youths who would wish to seek overseas jobs in line with the foreign labour markets.

The approval came in a meeting, which nodded a total of 20 projects worth Tk 14,077.86 crore.

Also read: Ecnec clears Tk 6,345 cr project to improve urban governance, infrastructure in 88 municipalities

Prime Minister and Ecnec Chair Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting at the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e Bangla Nagar area.

“Today’s meeting approved 20 projects involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 14,077.86 crore,” said Planning Minister MA Mannan while briefing reporters after the meeting.

Of the total cost, Tk 12,409.44 crore will be financed by the government, while Tk 1,049.04 crore will come from foreign sources and Tk 619.38 crore from the funds of the organisations concerned, he said.

Also read: Ecnec clears 18 projects with estimated cost of Tk 11,388 cr

Of the approved 20 projects, 13 are new while seven are revised projects.

The meeting also approved the extended timeframes of five projects without increasing their costs.

As per the project factsheet, the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) under the Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry will implement the Establishment of 50 Upazila-level Technical Training Centres by March 2028.

The project objectives also include to attain economic prosperity and progress, to create employment scopes and alleviate poverty through skills development training.

Also read: Ecnec clears Tk 4,168-cr project to revive four rivers in dry seasons

In the Ecnec meeting, the Prime Minister again put emphasis on reining in inflation and prevention of unnecessary expenditure and wastage of the public fund, said Mannan.

Sheikh Hasina suggested for building up green belt or afforestation surrounding islands as like in the Sundarbans.

The other approved projects include Climate and Disaster Resilient Small-Scale Water Resources Management Project with Tk 2,235.80 crore, Smallholder Agricultural Competitiveness Project (SACP), 2nd revised with an additional cost of Tk 419.76 crore, Important Rural Infrastructures Development of Gopalganj district, 2nd phase with Tk 815 crore, Implementing protection works for protecting the infrastructures built on Noler Char at Hatia upazila of Noakhali district from the river erosion of Meghna River with Tk 378.05 crore, Shubhadda Khal re-excavation alongside development and protection of both sides of the Khal under Keraniganj upazila in Dhaka district, 1st phase with Tk 317.59 crore, Mohananda River Dredging and Construction of Rubber Dam under Chapainawabganj Sadar Upazila, 2nd revised with an additional cost of Tk 64.30 crore, Modernisation of Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy Children’s Park with Tk 603.80 crore, Inauguration of two connecting roads from Purbachal 300-foot road to Madani Avenue with Tk 310 crore, and Construction of new building for Bagerhat Collectorate with Tk 130.20 crore.

The other projects are: Construction of Patuakhali Export Processing Zones with Tk 1,442.78 crore, Construction of Borobhanga Bridge on the 25th kilometer of Sylhet (Telikhal)-Sultanpur-Balaganj (Z-2013) Highway under Sylhet Division with Tk 126.77 crore, Ramerkanda-Lakirchar connecting road development project under Munshiganj Roads Division with Tk 514.57 crore, Establishment of 500-bedded hospital and ancillary building in Jashore, Cox’s Bazar and Pabna and Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College and Nurul Haque Modern Hospital, Noakhali, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 1,312.43 crore, Child, Maternal and health management component: Modernization of diagnostic imaging system at medical college hospitals of 8 divisional cities, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 194.55 crore, Expansion of infrastructures and academic operations of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 387.33 crore, Leaving No One Behind: Improving Skills and Economic Opportunities for the Women and Youths in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh with Tk 176.88 crore, Establishment of gas distribution pipeline network at Rangpur, Nilphamari, Pirganj town and adjacent areas, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 68.50 crore, Construction of Syedpur 150 MW Simple Cycle based power plant, 1st revised with an additional cost of Tk 248.93 crore and Economic Census 2023 with Tk 579.53 crore.