The second meeting of ECNEC for the 2026-27 fiscal year was held on Wednesday at the NEC conference room of the Planning Commission in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, with Prime Minister Tarek Rahman in the chair. While 11 projects were placed for approval, the proposal to purchase two oil tankers at a cost of Tk 1,457.80 crore was not approved.
The approved projects cover sectors including health, shipping, roads, water resources, local government, livestock, and power. The list includes both new projects and revisions to several ongoing projects.
A project costing Tk 1,154.83 crore was approved for replacing and reconstructing dilapidated facilities at Dhaka Medical College. The project will be implemented by the Directorate of Health Education from September 2026 to August 2030.
The first revision of a project to construct 19 hostel buildings for students of 10 medical colleges across the country was also approved. The proposal sought to increase costs by Tk 201.70 crore, bringing the total project cost to Tk 1,630.45 crore.
A project costing Tk 115.73 crore was approved to enhance modern technological capacity in bridge maintenance management under the Roads and Highways Department. This includes Tk 7.76 crore in government funding and Tk 107.97 crore in project loans or grants.
Approval was also given for a Tk 298.65 crore project to protect Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila from erosion on the right bank of the Dharla River, and a Tk 558.83 crore project for constructing a coastal embankment in Sitakunda, Chattogram.
Additionally, a Tk 567.04 crore project was approved for the protection and conservation of the Goranchatbari Retention Pond and the Turag River in Dhaka, with Tk 142.31 crore in government funding and Tk 424.72 crore in project loans or grants.
The most expensive approved project is the rehabilitation and strengthening of rural roads. The project, with a cost of Tk 4,963.67 crore, will be implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department from July 2026 to June 2030.
The third revision of the project to strengthen the capacity of the Department of Livestock was also approved, with a proposal to reduce costs by Tk 45.41 lakh.
The second revision of a project to construct a 100 MW solar power plant in Madarganj, Jamalpur, was approved with a cost increase of Tk 101.82 crore.
The first revision of the project for expansion and strengthening of electrical infrastructure in DESCO areas of Dhaka was also approved. The proposal sought to increase the project cost by Tk 627.23 crore, bringing the revised total to Tk 2,899.71 crore, along with an extension of the project timeline until March 2028.
However, the proposal to purchase two product oil tankers with a capacity of 40,000 to 55,000 DWT for the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation was not approved. The project, costing Tk 1,457.80 crore, was sent back for further review.
The meeting was attended by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury; Local Government, Rural Development Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir; Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman; Industry, Textiles and Jute, and Commerce Minister Khondkar Abdul Muktadir; Road Transport and Bridges, Railways, and Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabul Alam; Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed; Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr. A.N.M. Ehsanul Haque Milon; Water Resources Minister Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie; Planning State Minister Md. Jonayed Abdur Rahim Saki; and other senior government officials.
