TDS Desk:

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Monday (November 10) approved 12 development projects involving an overall expenditure of BDT 71.50 billion.

The entire amount will be financed from the government’s own resources.

The approval came at the 5th ECNEC meeting of the current FY 2025-26 held at the NEC Conference Room on the Planning Commission premises with Chief Adviser and ECNEC Chairperson Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus in the chair.

Among the approved projects, eight are new projects, two are revised ones, while two projects received time extensions without cost escalation, said a Planning Ministry press release.

Planning Adviser Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud; Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed; Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs and Expatriates’ Welfare & Overseas Employment Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul; Home Affairs and Agriculture Adviser Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd); Industries and Housing & Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan; Power, Energy & Mineral Resources, Road Transport & Bridges, and Railways Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan; Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Water Resources Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan; Health & Family Welfare Adviser Nurjahan Begum; Disaster Management & Relief and Liberation War Affairs Adviser Farooq E Azam, Bir Pratik and Education Adviser Professor Dr. Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar, among others, attended the meeting while other senior officials were present.

THE 12 PROJECTS APPROVED IN THE MEETING ARE:

Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (Rural Development & Cooperatives Division) – two projects:

1. “Important Rural Infrastructure Development in Manikganj District” with BDT 4.5 billion.
2. “Rural Infrastructure Development in Satkhira District” with BDT 19.30 billion.

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE – ONE PROJECT:

1. “Improvement of Minor Irrigation System in Haor Areas of Kishoreganj and Netrokona Districts” with BDT 1.64 billion.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION – TWO PROJECTS:

1. “Infrastructure Development of Gazipur Agricultural University” with BDT 5.67 billion.
2. “Establishment of One Engineering College in Each of Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi and Rangpur Divisions (2nd revised)” with an additional cost of BDT 3.94 billion.

MINISTRY OF LIBERATION WAR AFFAIRS – ONE PROJECT:

1. “Construction of Independence Monument at Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka (Phase 3) (1st revised)”.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE – THREE PROJECTS:

1. “Implementation of the Remaining Activities of Essential Family Planning, Maternal, Child and Reproductive Health Services Under the Completed 4th Sector Programme”, 1st revised.
2. “Integrated Development for Operational Management of the Directorate of Health Education, NIPORT and Directorate of Nursing & Midwifery” with BDT 2.11 billion.
3. “Implementation of Essential Remaining Activities of PFD, HEF, IFM, HRD and SWPMM” with BDT 15.46 billion.

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE – ONE PROJECT:

1. “Construction of ‘B’-Type Officers’ Residential Buildings at Nirjhor Residential Area, Dhaka Cantonment” with BDT 1.77 billion.

MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND BRIDGES – ONE PROJECT:

1. “4th Time Extension (2nd revised) for Construction of Kalia Bridge over Nabaganga River at the 21st Kilometer of Narail-Kalia District Highway”

MINISTRY OF INDUSTRIES – ONE PROJECT:

1. “BSCIC Industrial Park, Tangail (3rd revised)” with an additional cost of BDT 394.3 million.

The meeting was also informed about nine projects earlier approved by the Planning Adviser.