ECNEC approves Tk 10.4 billion project for higher education

Bangladesh’s top economic policy-making body has cleared a Tk 10.4 billion project aimed at improving the quality of higher education.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the ‘College Education Development’ project at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday.
 
The government says the project will facilitate the formulation and revision of educational strategies, streamline recruitment, raise management skill of colleges, and improve honours and Master’s courses. 
 
The World Bank will offer a loan of Tk 8 billion for the project, while the rest will come from government funds.
 
The five-year project gets under way in July this year.
 
Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said at the end of the meeting, “Demand for higher education is growing day by day. The government is attaching the highest priority to quality education at this moment.”
 
He said more colleges would be set up as part of this project.
 
Kamal said the prime minister wanted the project’s completion by 2019, though 2021 was the official deadline.
 
At Tuesday’s meeting, ECNEC approved at total of eight projects involving Tk 46.06 billion, including the one for the education sector.
 
The projects include the establishment of a technical school and college in 100 Upazilas and another for the setting up of a medical college in Faridpur.