The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved a total of 11 development projects involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 45.42 billion.
The approval came from a ECNEC meeting presided by ECNEC chair and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who joined the event from her official residence Ganobhaban through a videoconference on Tuesday.
Other ministers and officials concerned were connected to the meeting from the NEC Conference Room in the capital.
Among approved projects, a fresh project titled ‘Her Power Project: Empowering Women with Technology (Phase II)’ was designed to create self-employment opportunities for women and thus ensure their sustainable empowerment as entrepreneurs by enhancing their skills through the best and safest use of information technology.
The ICT Division will implement the project at 130 upazila in 44 districts under eight divisions at the cost of Tk 2.50 billion by December 2024.
“Today’s meeting approved six fresh projects and five revised ones. The overall estimated cost of the 11 projects is Tk 45.42 billion (only additional costs of the revised projects were counted here),” said Planning Minister MA Mannan at a press briefing.
Among those, four projects are under the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry, three under the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry, two under the Water Resources Ministry, one each under the ICT Division and the Railways Ministry, he said.
All the projects will be implemented with finance from the government, said the Planning Minister.
In terms of the cost, the biggest fresh project is “Protection of river banks from Kaliganga River Erosion to protect different important areas in Nababganj upazila of Dhaka, Saturia, Ghior, Manikganj Sadar and Singair upazilas of Manikganj” involving Tk 6.89 billion.
The Water Development Board will execute the project by June 2024.