Dhaka //

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 12 projects with a total estimated cost of Tk 1,68,780.40 crore. Final approval for these projects was granted during a meeting held on Wednesday at the Cabinet Room of the Bangladesh Secretariat, presided over by the Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson.

Among the approved projects, seven are new and five are revised. Of the total cost, Tk 48,256.30 crore will be sourced from the government’s own funds, while Tk 1,20,466.39 crore will come from project loans.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges accounts for the highest number of approved projects—five in total. These include the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Metro Rail Line-5, Southern Route); a project to upgrade district highways to appropriate standards and widths under the Rajshahi and Chattogram road zones; and the first revised projects for Metro Rail Line-5 (Northern Route) and Line-1.

Two projects under the Ministry of Railways include the implementation of electric traction on the Narayanganj-Dhaka-Joydebpur section and the construction of a new dual-gauge railway line from Bogura to Sirajganj (1st revision).

Projects approved under the Ministry of Defence include the establishment of Barishal Cantonment (2nd phase) and the construction of housing facilities and other infrastructure for naval personnel in the Khulna Naval Region.

Additionally, approvals were granted for the Khulna Sewerage System Development Project (1st revision) under the Ministry of Rural Development and Cooperatives; a project concerning improved working environments and social protection for workers in the textile and leather sectors under the Ministry of Labour and Employment; and the project for upgrading and expanding the power distribution system in the Monpura Island region (1st revision) under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

Furthermore, the meeting was apprised of 15 projects—each costing less than Tk 50 crore—that had previously been approved by the Planning Minister. These projects include—land management automation; construction of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society’s national headquarters; establishment of a green belt on Bhasan Char and afforestation in Cox’s Bazar; installation of telecommunication networks in economic zones; replacement of risky Bailey bridges in the Rangpur zone; expansion of the RDA building; creation of a digital elevation (3D) model for flood forecasting in the Sylhet division; and the Sylhet-10 well drilling project.

The meeting was attended by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury; Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan; Water Resources Minister Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie; Law Minister Md. Asaduzzaman; State Minister for Road Transport and Bridges and Railways Habibur Rashid; State Minister for Power and Energy Anindya Islam Amit; State Minister for Health Sardar M A Muhit; and State Minister for Planning Md. Junaid Abdur Rahim Saki, along with other relevant senior government officials.

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