The projects were approved at an ECNEC meeting held on Wednesday (October 7) at the Cabinet Room of the Bangladesh Secretariat, chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman.
Economy
ECNEC Approves 13 Projects Worth Tk 16,207 Crore
Of the total project cost, Tk 10,600.80 crore will come from government funds, Tk 4,081.85 crore from project loans and Tk 1,524.91 crore from agencies’ own funds.
Among the approved projects, 10 are new, two are revised and one involves an extension of the implementation period.
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The largest allocation, Tk 7,039.30 crore, has been approved for the Second Revision of the Second Phase of the Important Urban Infrastructure Development Project. The revision increases the project cost by Tk 1,310.40 crore, with the entire amount to be financed from government funds.
A Tk 2,586.99 crore project has been approved for improving roads, drainage systems and footpaths in Zones 1 to 8 of Gazipur City Corporation. Another Tk 1,602.79 crore has been allocated for infrastructure development in Rangpur City Corporation.
The government has also approved Tk 784.50 crore for road and drainage development in 18 wards across five zones of Dhaka South City Corporation.
For rural infrastructure development in Sirajganj, Bogura and Naogaon, the ECNEC approved a Tk 3,767.50 crore project. The initiative is expected to improve rural connectivity and related infrastructure in the three districts.
Bangladesh Railway will receive Tk 2,769.86 crore for procuring 30 metre-gauge diesel-electric locomotives. The move is aimed at strengthening the railway’s locomotive fleet and improving operational capacity.
A Tk 203.53 crore project has also been approved for constructing the Second Karatoya Bridge on the Bhanjapur-Panchagarh road in Panchagarh.
In the power sector, the ECNEC approved a Tk 2,498.08 crore project to construct a 442-megawatt peak solar power plant in Rampal. Of the total cost, Tk 2,123.37 crore will come from project loans and grants, while Tk 374.72 crore will be financed by the implementing agency from its own funds.
The third revision of a Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) project has also been approved. The project involves procuring 35 commercial vessels and eight auxiliary vessels and constructing two slipways. Following the revision, the project cost has risen to Tk 2,168.88 crore, while its implementation period has been extended until June 2027.
The ECNEC further approved Tk 211.30 crore for the renovation and modernization of Bangladesh’s chancery building in Paris, France.
Another Tk 184.88 crore has been allocated for a new project aimed at developing women’s skills and creating entrepreneurs through cooperatives.
Meanwhile, the cost of the Thanchi-Rimakri-Madak-Likri road construction project has been increased by Tk 36.50 crore to Tk 926.12 crore. Its implementation period has also been extended until June 2028.