The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Monday approved 17 development projects involving Tk 15,383.51 crore.
Officials said the government will provide Tk 9,451.84 crore, project loans will cover Tk 5,609.70 crore and implementing agencies will spend Tk 379.31 crore from their own funds.
The approval came at a meeting chaired by Chief Adviser and ECNEC Chairperson Muhammad Yunus at the conference room of the National Economic Council (NEC) in the Planning Commission.
The Ministry of Agriculture’s approved projects include sustainable agriculture development in the Chattogram region and the second revised programme for producing and preserving quality seed potatoes and distributing them to farmers.
The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources will implement two projects: drilling three exploration wells at Srikail Deep-1, Mobarakpur Deep-1 and Fenchuganj South-1, and constructing a 220-megawatt solar power plant in Sonagazi.
Three projects under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works were approved, including construction of 1,560 flats for families of July fighters who lost work capacity during the anti-discrimination student movement, construction of ‘Thirty-six July’ residential flats for the families of those killed during the movement and modernising fire-safety systems in the Bangladesh Secretariat, Transport Pool, Ministers’ Apartments and Secretary Residence areas.
The Ministry of Bridges received approval for two projects — the third revised Mass Rapid Transit Line-6 (MRT Line-6) development project and upgrading the Sirajganj–Raiganj district highway.
The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives will implement the Narayanganj Green and Resilient Urban Development Project.
The Ministry of Social Welfare’s project is the second revised Autism and Neuro-development Service Centre.
The Ministry of Finance will implement the second phase of the Japan Human Resources Development Scholarship Programme.
The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology’s project is the first revised Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem Development Project.
The Ministry of Education’s approved project will complete construction of the third academic building and the central research facility at Noakhali Science and Technology University.
Three projects under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare were approved: improving climate-resilient reproductive and public health services, establishing an Essential Biotech and Research Centre in Munshiganj (first revised) and implementing essential activities of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and related bodies.
Advisers were also briefed on 15 previously approved projects costing below Tk 50 crore.
These include modernising the Bangladesh Betar Chattogram Centre, upgrading stadiums in three districts, the Integrated Management of Poverty through Community Transformation (IMPACT) programme, infrastructure development at Khulna Public College, the third revision of the National Academy for Autism and Neuro-developmental Disabilities, upgrading college facilities in three districts, constructing a cultural centre in Muktagacha, upgrading Shaheed Bhulu Stadium in Noakhali and constructing a dormitory under the Bangladesh Institute of Administration and Management (BIAM) Foundation.
Other projects include repairing polders to strengthen border security in Cox’s Bazar, managing fish resources in the Jobai Beel area, improving rural infrastructure in Gazipur, expanding afforestation in the Chattogram Hill Tracts, re-excavating canals in Chapainawabganj to reduce waterlogging and upgrading infrastructure in Dinajpur municipality.
The meeting was attended by Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud, Foreign Adviser Towhid Hossain, Food and Land Adviser Ali Imam Majumdar and Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Adviser Sharmin S Murshid.
Also present were Home and Agriculture Adviser retired Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Industries and Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Power and Energy Adviser Faozul Kabir Khan, Environment and Climate Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum and Education Adviser Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar, along with senior government officials.
