The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 17 development projects with a total investment of BDT 8,974.28 crore.
The approval was given on Tuesday during an ECNEC meeting chaired by Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor, at the NEC conference room of the Planning Commission.
This was the last ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year, held just two days after the national budget for the upcoming fiscal year was passed.
Of the total project cost, BDT 3,180.34 crore will be provided from government funds, BDT 5,563.43 crore will come from project loans, and BDT 230.51 crore will be funded by the implementing agencies themselves.
Among the major approved projects are the expansion of Upazila Health Complexes, establishment of drug rehabilitation and treatment centers in divisional cities, installation of simulators and maritime training facilities at four new marine academies, and the expansion of integrated services to prevent violence against women and children.
Additionally, livelihood improvement programs for Rohingya refugees and local communities have also been approved.
Other significant projects include the installation of Bangladesh’s third submarine cable to strengthen international telecommunications, construction of 13 new fertilizer storage buffer warehouses across various districts, establishment of adolescent clubs, enhancement of technical education under the TTET Recharge Program, and a mobile library project by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
The meeting also approved projects aimed at improving development budget management through the creation of a new digital database, strengthening the Integrated Project Information Management System (IPIMS), and increasing the capacity of government auditing through digital training programs.
The government expects these projects to bring substantial improvements in health, education, infrastructure, information technology, and overall administrative efficiency.
Several key advisors attended the meeting, including Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud (Planning), Dr. Asif Nazrul (Law and Expatriate Welfare), Md. Touhid Hossain (Foreign Affairs), Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Home and Agriculture), Adilur Rahman Khan (Industry and Housing), Ali Imam Majumder (Food and Land), Muhammad Faozul Kabir Khan (Power and Transport), Syeda Rizwana Hasan (Environment and Water Resources), and Fayez Ahmad Tayyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor on Information Technology.
