The government will build an inland container and bulk terminal at Khanpur in Narayanganj at a cost of Tk 3.92 billion as the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved a project in this regard on Tuesday.
With Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, the ECNEC at a meeting in Dhaka endorsed the project along with eight others at a total cost of Tk 46.11 billion.
Emerging from the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan told journalists that the container terminal will help promote trade and commerce in Bangladesh.
The project has been approved, considering the growing demand for container handling in addition to Pangaon terminal in Keraniganj, he added.
Mr Mannan informed that the ECNEC meeting has taken an initial plan to issue a bond for raising funds to implement large projects.
Meanwhile, Mr Mannan said a total of nine projects worth Tk 46.11 billion were approved at the ECNEC meeting on Tuesday.
"Of the total cost, Tk 43.66 billion will come from internal resources while the rest Tk 2.45 billion from project implementing agencies' own fund."
Of the nine projects, seven are new while two others are revised projects.
The ECNEC approved a Tk 11.59 billion project to improve infrastructures of government primary schools in Dhaka metropolis and Purbachal.
Under the project, the Directorate of Primary Education will construct 14 new primary schools including three in Uttara and 11 in Purbachal. It will also build 2,975 rooms at existing 154 schools apart from 8,500 boundary walls.
Besides, it will carry out maintenance and repair work on some 1,167 rooms under 177 primary schools and 25,536 boundary walls alongside renovation of 356 boundary walls, formulation of necessary master plan, land acquisition and earth filling.
The ECNEC meeting endorsed another project at a cost of at Tk 9.45 billion to develop selected educational institutions in Haor areas of Netrakona and Sunamganj.
The planning minister, however, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the meeting asked the authorities concerned to find out ways for reducing the load of exams on primary school students so that they can get more time to take part in sporting activities.
She also suggested covering the rest of educational institutions in Haor areas other than Netrakona and Sunamganj under a project for ensuring necessary improvement.
The ECNEC on Tuesday revised Establishment of Leather Industrial Estate, Dhaka for the fourth time at a cost of Tk 631.5 million.
When asked about delay, the planning minister said although a lot of time has elapsed, the project is expected to be completed by December next year.
He said the prime minister in the meeting asked the authorities concerned to make necessary arrangement including allocation of land to accommodate those who are interested to develop product industries nearby Leather Industrial Estate.
The other projects approved by ECNEC are: Modern waste and disposal of spilled oil at Mongla Port at a cost of Tk 4.01 billion, addressing water-logging, supply of safe drinking water and construction of infrastructures in Sylhet City Corporation at Tk 12.28 billion, establishment of Faridpur Textile Institute (2nd revision) at an additional cost of Tk 603.9 million, construction of officers' mess and BOQ at Mirpur Cantonment at Tk 1.58 billion and providing training to some 0.1 million drivers to help them get jobs both at home and abroad at Tk 2.67 billion.
Ministers and state Ministers concerned attended the meeting. Planning Commission members and secretaries were also present.
