The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), in its first meeting under the interim government, has declined to grant final approval to a revised proposal for land acquisition relating to the upgrade of the Faridpur-Bhanga-Barishal-Patuakhali-Kuakata national highway to four lanes.
The proposed revision, which increased the project cost threefold, was presented at the meeting held on Wednesday (18 September).
Revised proposal for this project, amounting to Tk5,899.66 crore, was tabled during the ECNEC session, chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus at the Chief Adviser's Office.
The Roads and Highways Department has been implementing the project since 2018, initially estimated to cost Tk1,867.86 crore. The proposed revision would have significantly escalated the project’s cost.
Following the meeting, Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud informed the media that a total of four projects, with a combined cost of Tk1,222.14 crore, were approved in the new government’s inaugural ECNEC session.
Of this amount, Tk963.82 crore will be funded by the government, Tk158.16 crore will come from the implementing agencies' own funds, while Tk100.16 crore will be provided as a grant from foreign sources.
Among the four projects approved, two are entirely new initiatives, while two are revised projects.
One of the key approvals includes the first revision of the Bakhrabad-Meghnaghat-Haripur gas transmission pipeline construction project, now costing Tk1,570.77 crore.
Initially, the project was launched in July 2021 with a budget of Tk1,304.62 crore, aiming for completion by June 2023. However, due to delays, the project’s cost has risen by Tk266.15 crore, or 20.40%, with an extended deadline of two more years.
Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud remarked that previous ECNEC meetings had seen a large number of projects being initiated, though the pace of implementation often varied.
He highlighted that some politically motivated, unnecessary projects were included in the past, but the new government is carefully scrutinising such proposals.
"Unlike before, ECNEC meetings are no longer synonymous with massive spending sprees," he said, adding, "The government will prioritise projects that receive foreign funding, as many older projects remain stagnant."
"Foreign donors tend to closely monitor these projects, making it difficult to engage in irregularities. Consequently, contractors and stakeholders show less interest in their implementation," he added.
The current government plans to undertake new projects aligned with its development agenda and priorities, the adviser said.
Additionally, a project involving the drilling of two evaluation and development wells and two exploratory wells for natural gas in Noakhali, Cumilla, and Jamalpur has also received approval, with a budget of Tk588.40 crore. Petrobangla’s company BAPEX is expected to complete this project by June 2026.
Another notable project approved by ECNEC is a Tk400 crore initiative aimed at providing sustainable social services in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, which includes a grant of approximately BDT 100 crore from UNICEF.
Furthermore, the ECNEC gave conditional approval for the second revision of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs' "Info Apa: Empowering Women through ICT in Building Digital Bangladesh" project (Phase II). The project’s tenure has been extended by one year, with instructions to review costs and rename the project.
Although a Tk163.11 crore cost increase was proposed for a two-year extension, ECNEC has directed that the project be extended for one year with a reduced budget.
The meeting was attended by key government advisers, including Salehuddin Ahmed, Wahiduddin Mahmud, Dr Asif Nazrul, Hasan Ariff, Md Tauhid Hossain, Adilur Rahman Khan, Ali Imam Majumdar, Faozul Kabir Khan, and Syeda Rizwana Hasan, alongside officials from the Chief Adviser’s Office and the Planning Commission.
