Staff Reporter :
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Monday approved 10 development projects collectively valued at Tk1, 974.30 crore. Of this amount, Tk1, 642.98 crore will be funded by the government, while Tk331.32 crore will be sourced from the respective organizations’ own funds.
The approvals were made during an ECNEC meeting held on 23 December at the NEC conference room on the Planning Commission premises, presided over by Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus. Following the session, Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud briefed reporters about the decisions.
The Ministry of Shipping secured approval to construct river ports in the Chilmari area, covering Ramna, Joragach, Rajibpur, Roumari, and Nayarhat.
The Ministry of Agriculture received approval for two initiatives:
o The Ashuganj-Palash Green Initiative.
o The Sustainable Agricultural Technology Expansion Project in the Cumilla region.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change received approval for a project aimed at removing economically unviable rubber trees, initiating re-afforestation, and upgrading rubber processing facilities.
Three projects under the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources were approved, including:
* Acquisition and installation of a 60 MMSCFD capacity process plant for the Bhola North Gas Field.
* Drilling of the Rashidpur-11 exploration well.
* Conducting a 2D seismic survey over exploration blocks 7 and 9.
The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs will establish 60 day-care centres under a newly approved project.
The Ministry of Railways received approval for two projects aimed at rehabilitating and upgrading level crossing gates in the eastern and western zones of Bangladesh Railway.
The ECNEC meeting was attended by advisers overseeing finance, commerce, environment, and water resources, along with senior government officials.
These projects underline ECNEC’s commitment to enhancing infrastructure, agriculture, energy, environment, and social welfare across Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud on Monday said the interim government would announce the revised budget, although in this case more of an emergency budget reflecting the change in government, for the 2024-25 fiscal by February.
“It would be better to announce it by end of January, Time has come to coordinate monetary policy, budgetary policy and annual development budget and prepare a revised budget. We are trying to do that by end of January or in February so that everyone could be benefitted,” he said.
The Adviser said this while briefing reporters after the ECNEC meeting at his ministry conference room.
