ECNEC gives green signal to Tk 61 billion cross-border road development project

The Executive Council of the National Economic Committee, ECNEC has given its nod of approval to the "Cross Border Road Network Improvement (Bangladesh)".

The project is aimed at improving border roads and related infrastructure along the border to facilitate trade along the Asia Pacific Corridor.
 
Besides this, nine other projects were cleared at the ECNEC meet held at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Tuesday.
 
The meeting was presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
 
Briefing the media after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said the road development would enable Bangladesh benefit from the trans-border Asia Pacific trade.
 
He said that there is an enormous trade potential with India. 
 
But despite 70 percent of the international road – which includes the Asian Highway -- running through Bangladesh, and despite being centrally located between Myanmar, Nepal and India, the country fails to cash in on customs potentials because of the dilapidated border roads and bridges. 
 
The project, once completed, will plug these lacunae, the minister indicated.
 
The total cost of the project is expected to be Tk 61 billion.
 
The Dinajpur-Chirirbondor-Parboti road expansion project also obtained the ECNEC approval, the minister said. The project cost has been estimated to be Tk 452.7 million.

The Tk 13.56 billion project to set up 400 KV Aminbazar-Mawa-Mangla line was also given the go-ahead at the meeting.