First meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) under the new government is scheduled to be held on 6 April.
Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman will preside over the meeting, which will commence at 10:30am at the NEC Conference Room in the Planning Commission.
A total of 17 projects will be presented during the session, nine of which are new initiatives.
According to Planning Commission sources, a major highlight among the new projects is the construction of a 21-storey office building at the Bangladesh Secretariat under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
The agenda includes the Karatoya River System Development project by the Ministry of Water Resources; General Social Infrastructure Development-2 and Char Development and Settlement Project-4 under the Local Government Division; and the fourth phase of the Participatory Rural Development Project by the Rural Development and Co-operatives Division.
Other significant proposals include the establishment of an IT Training and Incubation Centre by the ICT Division; a project to set up diagnostic centres at medical college hospitals in eight divisional cities to improve maternal and child health; and the establishment of Gopalganj Dental College and Hospital.
The meeting will also consider infrastructure development for Dhaka South City Corporation, the construction of residential quarters for cleaners of Chattogram City Corporation, and emergency water supply for Dhaka city.
Under the Ministry of Defence, a barrack complex will be constructed at Savar Senanibash to address the housing crisis for soldiers.
In the transport sector, the Road Transport and Highways Division will present projects to upgrade the Bairagipur (Barishal)-Tumchar-Bauphal (Patuakhali) district highway and the Barishal-Bhola-Lakshmipur national highway from Barishal (Charkaua) via Bhola (Ilisha Ferry Ghat) to Lakshmipur.
Additionally, the construction of the Goma Bridge over the Rangamati River at the 14th kilometre of Barishal (Dinarerpul)-Lakshmipasha-Dumki district highway will be placed for approval.
Other projects include the second phase of the Border Road construction (covering Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and Bandarban hill districts) and the Construction of Five Climate Resilient Bridges in Mymensingh Division Project.
Besides, 33 projects previously approved by the planning minister will be presented to the ECNEC.
These include seven projects from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, five each from the Ministry of Water Resources and the Power Division, and four from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The remaining projects for notification comprise three from the Road Transport and Highways Division, two each from the Rural Development and Co-operatives Division and the ICT Division, and one each from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Prime Minister’s Office.
