Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman has expressed strong displeasure and frustration over the recurring trend of project implementation delays and repeated increases in project costs and timelines. He directed authorities to identify officials responsible for negligence or lapses and ensure swift disciplinary action against them.
The directive came during a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held on Tuesday at the Bangladesh Secretariat, chaired by the Prime Minister.
In the meeting, 10 development projects worth a total of Tk 3,890.97 crore were approved. Of the total cost, Tk 3,810.62 crore will come from government funding, while Tk 80.35 crore will be financed by the implementing agencies’ own resources.
According to meeting sources, the Prime Minister expressed strong dissatisfaction when a proposal for the third revision of the Khulna Shipyard Road Expansion and Development Project was placed before ECNEC. Due to repeated extensions in its implementation period, the project was sent back from the meeting without approval. He also instructed officials to identify those responsible for the repeated delays.
The Prime Minister further directed that overall project costs be reduced and urged the introduction of a unified rate schedule across government agencies. Expressing concern over differing rate schedules among departments such as LGED and PWD, he said that many project costs appear unusually high and called for a standardized framework as soon as possible.
He also expressed concern over tree felling in the name of development. Recalling earlier times when highways were lined with trees, he said that many roads, including the Dhaka–Bogura highway, have lost their green cover. He emphasized that he does not support turning all areas into urban spaces and stressed the importance of preserving rural and natural environments. He further instructed officials not to plant environmentally harmful species such as eucalyptus and akashmoni along roadsides, saying that unnecessary cutting of trees causes him deep distress.
Among the 10 approved projects are the maintenance and rehabilitation of the Barishal Irrigation Project (Phase 1), construction of integrated upazila land complexes, construction of Mymensingh City Corporation’s city hall, and upgrading of the Anwara–Banshkhali–Toitong–Pekua–Badrakhali–Chakaria regional highway to proper standards and width. Other projects include construction of circuit houses and Deputy Commissioner offices in 33 districts, installation of lifts in Thakurgaon, expansion of the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute, construction of a cancer center at Dhaka CMH (Phase 2), development of the Madrasa Education Management and Information System (MEMIS), installation of multimedia classrooms in 653 madrasas, and enhancement of capacity in existing grid substations and transmission lines (revised project).
Meanwhile, progress is expected in resolving long-standing complications surrounding the China Economic and Industrial Zone (CEIZ) project, which has remained stalled for nearly a decade. The project has gained renewed priority ahead of the Prime Minister’s scheduled four-day visit to China later this month.
Officials said the project aligns with the BNP’s election manifesto commitments on rebuilding the fragile economy and establishing Chattogram as a commercial capital. The economic zone is being developed on around 800 acres of land in the Blechhara area of Anwara upazila on the eastern bank of the Karnaphuli River, about four kilometers from the Bangabandhu Tunnel.
The infrastructure development project of the special economic zone is estimated to cost Tk 4,189 crore, of which Tk 2,467 crore will come from Chinese loans and the rest from government funding. The project is being implemented under a government-to-government arrangement by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and is scheduled for completion by December 2031.
The project includes construction of bridges and access roads, a 20,304 cubic meter water reservoir, gas pipelines, a 25 MLD central effluent treatment plant (CETP), solid waste collection stations, a multipurpose jetty with 20,000 DWT capacity, power substations, and a 12-kilometer boundary wall.
Although the project was originally initiated during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Dhaka in 2016, it later stalled due to delays in development approval and funding complications under the previous government. Progress resumed following diplomatic engagement during a China visit by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, and the process advanced further after the current BNP-led government assumed office.
Once implemented, the project is expected to create more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs and attract around 500 million US dollars in foreign direct investment (FDI). Annual expenditure plans have also been finalized, with phased spending scheduled from FY2026–27 through FY2030–31, combining government funds and foreign loans.
