ECNEC okays 9 projects, focus on flood recovery

Staff Reporter :

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved nine development projects with a combined estimated cost of BDT 3,756.20 crore, including a major initiative to strengthen disaster resilience under the Bangladesh Sustainable Recovery, Emergency Preparedness and Response Project (B-STRONG).

The approvals were granted at ECNEC’s 10th meeting of the year, held at the NEC Conference Room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. The meeting was chaired by ECNEC Chairperson and Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus.

Of the total approved outlay, BDT 2,798.19 crore will be funded by the Government of Bangladesh, BDT 812.95 crore through project loans, and BDT 145.06 crore by the respective implementing agencies. Three of the nine approved projects are new, while the remaining six are revised versions of existing ones.

A key highlight of the meeting was the approval of the B-STRONG (Department of Disaster Management component) project worth BDT 244.14 crore, designed to enhance disaster preparedness and provide employment support to vulnerable families.

Of the total project cost, BDT 238.34 crore will be provided as a World Bank grant, with the Government of Bangladesh contributing BDT 5.80 crore.

The project, to be implemented by the Department of Disaster Management under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, is scheduled for completion by June 2029.

Project activities include generating approximately 3.19 million employment days for 8,861 vulnerable families across 10 upazilas in Feni, Brahmanbaria, and Chattogram-areas frequently affected by flooding. The initiative also involves the procurement of 370 rescue boats for 37 flood-prone districts, training of 1,480 volunteers in disaster response and boat operation, and capacity-building for 1,295 members of district disaster management committees.

The Planning Commission emphasised that the project would not only support income generation for disaster-hit families but also significantly improve community capacity for emergency response and resilience.

During the post-meeting briefing, Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud shared that while a proposal concerning Rabindra University was discussed, it was returned for further revision.