Although the government promised not to undertake mega projects, it is approving large projects one after another, but these projects are being taken considering public necessity, said State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki.
The Fifth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-5) project involving an expenditure of Tk41,090 crore was approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday.
The state minister informed this at a press conference held in the afternoon at the NEC Conference Room of the Ministry of Planning in Agargaon, following the ECNEC meeting held at the Secretariat earlier in the day.
At the press conference, journalists inquired whether the government was changing its position under pressure without providing detailed information to the media, noting that before the election, the BNP had spoken of not taking on any mega projects, yet large projects including the metro rail are being approved continuously.
‘Public necessity key priority’
In response, Zonayed Saki said projects are not being formulated secretly or under any pressure, but purely out of public necessity. He asked what could be a more important issue for Dhaka city than the metro rail.
He said if at least one-third of current passenger travel in Dhaka cannot be brought under a metro rail or underground railway system, commuting in the capital will become impossible.
Therefore, whether a project is mega or non-mega is not very important right now; rather, how to improve Dhaka’s transport system is what matters more.
Highlighting the justification for the large allocation to the Fifth Primary Education Development Programme, the state minister said primary education is a vital priority for the government and the country, and that the government will do its utmost to fulfill whatever is required for primary education, adding that this is not a question of a mega project.
Meanwhile, two projects were approved to purchase specialised and operational vehicles to enhance the capabilities of Bangladesh Police, with both projects set to be implemented by Bangladesh Police.
An expenditure of Tk2,280 crore has been allocated for purchasing specialised vehicles, while Tk4,328 crore has been estimated for operational vehicles.
Regarding this, Zonayed Saki said a number of police vehicles were damaged before and after the 2024 mass uprising.
He added that in accordance with the current government’s commitment to building an investment-oriented economic system in the country, ensuring a safe environment and improving the law and order situation are necessary, which led to the approval of the two vehicle procurement projects to boost police capabilities.
