Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday (November 07, 2022) asked the authorities concerned to come up with small-scale, rural, or public welfare-oriented projects. She gave the directive while chairing the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) at the NEC conference room in Dhaka’s Sher-e Bangla Nagar area. “The Prime Minister said that megaprojects can’t be undertaken, but there cannot be any compromise on small-scale, rural projects or welfare-oriented projects,” Planning Minister MA Mannan said while briefing reporters after the meeting. Sheikh Hasina, also the Ecnec chairperson, stressed the need for a thorough feasibility study in case of undertaking any big project. Read more: Ecnec nods 6 projects worth Tk 7,018 crore She also asked the authorities concerned to identify uncultivated land everywhere across the country and prepare those for cultivation. “The Prime Minister said production will have to be increased. Not a single inch of land can be kept uncultivated,” Mannan said, adding that the PM directed the Cabinet Secretary to identify uncultivated land with the help of deputy commissioners. The PM asked everyone to be frugal and stop wastage amid the ongoing global recession. The Ecnec meeting cleared seven projects with a total estimated cost of Tk 3,981.90 crore (only additional costs of three revised projects were counted here). Read more: Ecnec approves Tk 7,189cr Cumilla-Brahmanbaria 4-lane highway project Of the cost, Tk 3,392.33 crore will be drawn from the Bangladesh government’s fund, while Tk 267.35 crore from the own funds of the organisations concerned and Tk 332.21 crore will come from foreign sources. Among the fresh four projects, the “Construction of Jetty with ancillary infrastructures at Mirsrai and Sandwip in Chattogram, Sonadia Island in Cox's Bazar and Teknaf (Sabrang and Jaliar Islands)” one will be implemented at the cost of Tk 1913.70 crore by June 2024. The project titled “Improvement of Service Passages including Damaged Road Infrastructures in Zone-2 and Zone-4 of Dhaka North City Corporation will be executed at the cost of Tk 963.30 crore by June 2025. The two other new projects are “Electrical-Mechanical and Security Development Works of Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban Area” with the estimated cost of Tk 92.17 crore and “Sustainable Agricultural Development in Dinajpur Region” with Tk 65.32 crore. Besides, the meeting approved the first revision of “Expansion and Strengthening of Electricity Transmission System in Chattogram Region,” raising its cost by Tk 502.41 crore (now cost stands at Tk 1861.29 crore) and extending its deadline till June 2025 instead of June 2022. In the meeting, the first revisions of two other projects were cleared. The projects are “Bariyarhat-Heyako-Ramgarh Road Widening” with additional cost of Tk 261.59 crore (now its cost stands at Tk 1107.12 crore) and extension of deadline till December 2024, and “Nabinagar-Ashuganj Road Development (Z-2031)” with extra cost of Tk 183.41 crore (now cost is Tk 604.86 crore) and extension of the deadline till June 2023.  

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday said BNP couldn't implement any megaprojects during their tenure due to inept economic management, and now feel pained at the success reaped by AL. 'Megaprojects' in the Bangladeshi context are understood to be the large scale, ambitious, often eye-catching and usually involving infrastructure, projects that a government undertakes. Such projects may carry a degree of risk, but the political payoff for the administration associated with them are potentially huge.   Read:People will resist if BNP creates street violence: Obaidul Quader “BNP suffers mega-pain when they look at the megaprojects of Bangladesh. Because, the economy of Bangladesh was in such a fragile condition during their regime that they didn’t have the mentality, courage, skills and financial capacity, and even couldn’t think of any mega project in the country,” he said in a statement. Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said that BNP solely indulged in corruption and looting. He said now Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina has made Bangladesh a role model for development with her able leadership, wisdom, integrity and talent. The AL leader said Bangladesh is now moving forward in the new development trajectory by overcoming hunger, famine, drought and poverty under her leadership. Read: UN can't investigate Bangladesh's internal issues: Quader Quader said their government would able to continue the development trend and build a prosperous peaceful and welfare country for the next generations overcoming all anti-state conspiracies taking the people of Bangladesh with them under the leadership of Bangabandhu’s daughter, no matter how many evil attempts are made by the follower of Pakistan and the conspirators. He also harshly criticised BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for his remark that ‘they had been better in the Pakistani period.’ Quader strongly condemned and protested the remark terming it anti-state conspiracy and seditious speech. Through this comment, BNP's traditional anti-Bangladesh stance and secret agenda of anti-liberation and ill-politics have been revealed once again, he claimed. The AL leader said BNP is now raising voices about good governance, public safety and poverty in the country. But though BNP leaders have forgotten, the countrymen have not forgotten how they turned Bangladesh into a failed state during the BNP-Jamaat coalition government, he added.