The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday approved 12 development projects involving a total estimated cost of Tk 1,68,780.40 crore.

The ECNEC meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, was held at the Secretariat on September 16, 2026.

Of the total project cost, Tk 48,256.30 crore will come from government funds, while Tk 1,20,466.39 crore will be financed through project loans. The implementing agencies will contribute Tk 57.71 crore from their own funds.

Of the 12 approved projects, seven are new and five are revised.

The Road Transport and Bridges Ministry has the highest number of projects, with five approvals. These include the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-5): Southern Route; upgrading district highways in the Rajshahi road zone; upgrading district highways in the Chattogram road zone under the third phase; the Northern Route of MRT Line-5 (first revision); and MRT Line-1 (first revision).

Two projects under the Ministry of Railways were also approved. These are the introduction of electric traction on the Narayanganj-Dhaka-Joydebpur section and construction of a new dual-gauge railway line from Bogura to Sirajganj, under its first revision.

The meeting also approved projects for establishing Barishal Cantonment (second phase) and constructing housing facilities and other infrastructure for naval personnel in the Khulna Naval Area under the Ministry of Defence.

A project to improve working conditions and social protection for workers in the textile and leather sectors under the Ministry of Labour and Employment was also approved.

Other approved projects include the Khulna sewerage system improvement project (first revision) and the upgrading and expansion of electricity distribution facilities in the Monpura island region (first revision).

Meanwhile, 15 additional projects costing less than Tk 50 crore each were presented at the ECNEC meeting. These projects had already been approved by the planning minister under his delegated authority and were subsequently placed before the ECNEC for information.

The projects include land management automation (second revision), construction of the national headquarters of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (first revision), establishment of a green belt at Bhasan Char and reforestation in Rohingya-affected areas of Cox’s Bazar (first revision), strengthening research, conservation and development of indigenous chickens, and establishment of telecommunications networks in economic zones (first phase, first revision).

Other projects approved by the planning minister include replacement of Bailey and other vulnerable bridges in the Rangpur zone, construction of the fifth to 10th floors of the RDA building, construction of a quarter guard to strengthen SI&T capacity at Jalalabad Cantonment, and preparation of a 3D model for flood forecasting in Sylhet division (first revision).

The list also includes infrastructure development at Saidpur Cantonment Public School and College and Khulna Military Collegiate School, strengthening social protection (SSPRIT, first revision), development of Barguna and Dinajpur district stadiums, and drilling of the Sylhet-10 exploration well (second revision).