The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has sanctioned 11 projects. The overall expenditure for these projects is estimated at 9,361.92 billion taka.

These projects received approval during the ECNEC meeting held in the NEC Conference Room at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Sunday (August 17). The meeting was chaired by Chief Advisor and ECNEC Chairperson Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

In attendance were Planning Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud; Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Advisor Dr. Asif Nazrul; Home Affairs and Agriculture Advisor Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (retd.); Industry and Housing and Public Works Advisor Adilur Rahman Khan; Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Road Transport and Bridges and Railways Advisor Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan; Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Water Resources Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan, along with other relevant officials who participated in the meeting.

According to the Planning Advisor’s office, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 11 projects with a total cost of Tk 9,361 crore. This includes government funding of Tk 6,677 crore, a project loan of Tk 2,428 crore 4 lakh, and the organization’s own financing amounting to Tk 2,568 crore 9 lakh. Among these, there are 5 new projects, 2 revised projects, and 3 projects that have had their timelines extended without any increase in costs.

The approved projects include the Sustainable Agriculture Development Project in the Rangpur Region through the Expansion of Modern Technology; the Modernization and Capacity Enhancement Project for the 33/11 KV Outdoor Substation in the Existing Industrial Area of BAPBIBO; the BMR of Carew & Co. (BD) Ltd. (2nd Revised) Project; the Rabindra University Bangladesh Establishment Project; the Project for establishing Burn and Plastic Surgery Units in five designated Medical College Hospitals (Sylhet, Barisal, Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Faridpur) (1st revised); the Project for constructing multi-storey residential flats for government employees (Zone-C) within the Azimpur Government Colony, Dhaka; the Project for building two multi-storey residential buildings for officers and employees of the Fire Service and Civil Defense Department; the Project for expanding and developing a safe water supply and sanitation system in Dhaka Environmental Sustainable Water Supply (3rd revised) and Bandarban Municipality along with three Upazila Sadars of Bandarban District and its surrounding areas (1st revised); the Project for establishing a telecommunication network in the Mirsarai Economic Zone, Chittagong; and the Project for constructing a mini stadium at the Upazila level (2nd phase) (proposed 1st revised).

The meeting updated the ECNEC members regarding the nine projects that have already been approved by the Planning Advisor under his authority. These projects are: 1. 100% reliable and sustainable electrification of Hatia Island, Nijhum Island, and Kutubdia Island (2nd revised), 2. Smart pre-payment meter swap in the areas under NESCO in the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions (1st revised), 3. Two municipalities infrastructure development projects in the Barguna district, 4. Disaster-affected rural road development in three hill districts (2nd revised), 5. Infrastructure development of Langalband Mahashtami Punyasnan festival (2nd revised), 6. Increase in production of oilseed crops (2nd revised), 7. Important rural infrastructure development of Sylhet division (2nd revised), 8. Elimination of waterlogging in the Kapotaksha River and adjacent areas (2nd phase) (1st revised), 9. Skill-based literacy for out-of-school adolescents (2nd revised) project.