Bangladesh extends emergency Rohingya response programme by two more years

The government has extended an emergency Rohingya response programme by two more years with no progress in sight in the repatriation of the refugees to their homeland Myanmar.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council or ECNEC on Tuesday also cleared a 77 percent rise in expenditure of the programme to Tk 5.99 billion.The estimated cost of the project, which had been extended by two years from September 2018 earlier, was Tk 3.38 billion.

Planning Minister MA Mannan, who joined the online meeting along with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from her Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka, said the World Bank agreed to provide an additional fund of $30 million or over Tk 2.5 billion for the extended project.

After the revision, the project titled “Emergency Multi-Sector Rohingya Crisis Response” will run until June 2023.

The main objective of the scheme is to increase the capabilities of 5 million Rohingya refugees, especially women, young, old and those with disabilities, through community services in Ukhiya and Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar.

The other objectives include increasing the basic services of 375,000 refugees by engaging another 75,000 Rohingya in community work fairs.

The meeting approved a total of seven projects at an estimated cost of Tk 34.61 billion.

The government will provide more than Tk 26.19 billion while the rest is expected to come as assistance from abroad.

The six other projects are:

>> Extension of the Baraiyarhat-Heakow-Ramgarh Highway at Tk 8.45 billion.

>>Modernisation and extension of the Daudkandi-Goalmari- Shrirayerchar (Cumilla)-Matlab North (Chhengarchar) Highway at Tk 5.24 billion.

>> Replacement of risky, run-down bridges with new concrete bridges on the highways in Khulna at Tk 5.24 billion.

>> Prevention of Tentulia river erosion from Patuakhali’s Bauphal to Barishal’s Bakerganj at Tk 7.12 billion.

>> Second phase of a project to prevent waterlogging along the Kapotaksha river at Tk 5.31 billion.

>> A pilot project to catch tuna and pelagic fishes from the deep sea at Tk 610 million.