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The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 10 development projects totaling BDT 9,333.58 crore. Among the approved projects, the Dhaka Medical College’s unusable facility replacement and reconstruction initiative will involve the construction of three 15-storey and two 4-storey buildings. In the same meeting, the Rural Road Rehabilitation Project, with an estimated cost of BDT 4,964 crore, also received approval.
These projects were sanctioned at a meeting held on Wednesday (August 19) in the NEC Conference Room at the Planning Commission premises, presided over by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman.
The Dhaka Medical College facility replacement and reconstruction project, approved at the meeting, is estimated to cost BDT 1,154 crore. Through the construction of new infrastructure in place of the long-standing old and unusable buildings, the project aims to enhance academic activities and improve accommodation facilities for students and staff.
Under this project, three 15-storey and two 4-storey buildings will be constructed. The Health Education Directorate aims to implement the project by 2030.
Additionally, ECNEC also approved a project to construct 19 hostels across 10 medical colleges in the country. As part of this, two more girls’ hostels will be built at Dhaka Medical College.
The total expenditure for the 10 projects approved by ECNEC is BDT 9,333.58 crore. Of this amount, BDT 8,488.71 crore will be financed by the government, and BDT 958 crore will come from project loans. The approved projects cover various development activities in sectors such as roads, water resources, power, livestock, and rural communication.
The largest allocation among these has been made for the Rural Road Rehabilitation Project, which is estimated to cost BDT 4,964 crore.
Meanwhile, although a total of 12 projects were presented for approval at the ECNEC meeting, two projects did not receive sanction. The project to purchase two product oil tankers at a cost of BDT 1,457 crore to address the fuel crisis, and the Dhaka Metro project for the protection of the Turag River, were excluded from the approval list.
At the press conference held after the meeting, emphasis was placed on ensuring transparency and accountability in project implementation. ECNEC Chairperson Prime Minister Tarique Rahman instructed further scrutiny and verification of project proposals.
State Minister for Planning, Zunaid Abdur Rahim Saki, stated that the two projects were not approved due to the need for further review and verification of their proposals.