ECNEC approves 11 projects at a cost of Tk 85 billion

The projects include diplomatic buildings, procurements for the railway, and highway development

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, or ECNEC, has approved 11 projects at a cost of nearly Tk 85 billion and extended the deadline for one of them.

The meeting, led by ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was held at the NEC Conference Room in Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Thursday.

It is the second ECNEC meeting since the Awami League returned to power for a fourth consecutive term in the Jan 7 general election.

Eleven projects, costing a total of Tk 84.25 billion, were approved at the meeting, Planning Minister Abdus Salam told the media afterwards.

Regarding the financing for the projects, the minister said that about Tk 79.40 billion would be provided by the government, while about Tk 4.86 billion would come from abroad.

The projects include a Bangladesh Chancery Complex and Residential Building in Cairo, Egypt, the procurement of a 20-metre gauge diesel electric locomotive, and a 150-metre gauge passenger carrier for the Bangladesh Railway, and a widening of the Nawabganj section of the highway through the Kashinathpur-Dashuria-Natore-Rajshahi-Nawabganj-Kansat-Sonamsjid-Baliadighi Border (N-06) areas.

The funds will also be used to develop the Fish Landing Centre for the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation in the Cox’s Bazar district, infrastructural development to increase capacity and fish production at existing government fish farms, rural infrastructural development in the greater Rangpur region, and the construction of union council complex buildings.

In addition, the money will go towards setting up comprehensive cancer, heart, and kidney treatment centres in eight divisional cities, the Bangladesh Handloom Board Complex project, and the relocation and mordernisation of the Bangladesh Betar Shahbagh Complex.

Projects are often delayed due to the rising price of the dollar or LC issues, but the government does not want any delays on its projects, the minister said.

Extensions are only granted after the reasons are analysed and no extension is granted without cause, he said.