The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 13 development projects while deferring four others for further scrutiny.

The decisions were taken at an ECNEC meeting held at the Cabinet Division in the Secretariat on Wednesday (November 4), chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman.

The four deferred projects include the establishment of Netrokona University, development of major roads, drains and footpaths under Dhaka South City Corporation, the Growth–Local Economic Development (LED) in Selected Municipalities project, and the Metro Dhaka: Water Supply and Sanitation project.

Among the approved projects are the procurement of specialised and operational vehicles to enhance the Bangladesh Police’s capabilities and the drilling of two appraisal and development wells, named Titas-32 and Titas-33, at the Titas Gas Field.

Other approved initiatives include the Innovation Climate-Smart Urban Development project, ensuring safe water and sanitation in the Barind region, and establishing nuclear medicine centres at five medical colleges across the country.

The first phase of a project to protect, restore and re-excavate canals in Barishal City Corporation has also received approval.

Additionally, ECNEC approved the construction of Type-B officers’ residential buildings in the Mainul Road residential area of Dhaka Cantonment, a multi-storey residential building for government employees at Gabtala Colony in Jigatola, and bridges and culverts up to 15 metres long on rural roads.

Several projects costing less than Tk 50 crore were approved by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury under the existing rules and subsequently brought to the ECNEC meeting for information.

These include the modernisation of cardiac treatment services at Dinajpur Zia Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, initiatives to ensure safe internet use among children, adolescents and secondary-level students, and improvements to traffic infrastructure to strengthen road safety in Dhaka North City Corporation areas.

The expansion and modernisation of the Dhaka Central Drug Addiction Treatment Centre was also presented at the meeting for information.