BDT 41,000cr project approved for pry education

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the Fifth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP-5), with an outlay of BDT 41,090.48 crore, aimed at improving the quality of primary education.

State Minister for Planning Junaid Saki shared this information during a press conference held on Wednesday afternoon (November 4) at the NEC conference room of the Planning Commission.

Earlier, at an ECNEC meeting held at the Secretariat—chaired by the Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson—a total of 13 projects, with an estimated cost of BDT 58,088.92 crore, were approved.

Junaid Saki stated that the PEDP-5 project encompasses all flagship initiatives for primary education.

These include establishing new schools, renovating existing ones, providing teacher training, implementing the “one teacher, one tablet” initiative, setting up multimedia classrooms, and distributing footwear, school uniforms, and educational materials to students.

However, directives have been issued to rationalize costs in certain areas—such as consultancy—and to shift some expenditures to the revenue budget.

The project must be resubmitted within two weeks, incorporating these adjustments.

Of the total cost for the PEDP-5 project, BDT 33,203.23 crore will be funded by the government, while BDT 7,887.25 crore will come from project loans. To be implemented by the Directorate of Primary Education, the program is scheduled to run from July 2026 to June 2031.

State Minister for Planning Junaid Saki noted that a total of 17 projects were presented at the ECNEC meeting; 13 were approved, while 4 were sent back for further scrutiny.