ECNEC Approves Tk 36,695-Crore Projects; Hi-Tech City-2 Revision

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved nine development projects involving an expenditure of Tk 36,695 crore 72 lakh in its regular meeting. Among them is a project under the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology titled “Support Infrastructure Construction of Hi-Tech City-2 (3rd Revision)”.

Under government financing, the project cost has been increased by Tk 2 crore 20 lakh 35 thousand to complete the infrastructure development work of the second park in Kaliakoir.

Before the third revision, the first revised cost of the project was Tk 384 crore 93 lakh 21 thousand. In the second revision, the cost was Tk 431 crore 78 lakh 1 thousand. In the latest third revision, the approved cost now stands at Tk 433 crore 98 lakh 36 thousand.

The ECNEC meeting was chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman and held on Wednesday, 13 May at Cabinet Room No. 100, 10th Floor, Building No. 1 of the Bangladesh Secretariat.

The meeting was attended by senior ministers and officials including representatives from the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, the Ministry of Science and Technology, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Local Government and Rural Development Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, Agriculture and Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid, Industries, Textiles and Jute and Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam, Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md. Asaduzzaman, Planning State Minister Md. Jonaid Abdul Rahim Saki, along with other senior government officials.

In the meeting, the Prime Minister instructed that all engineering departments maintain a unified rate schedule. Currently, different agencies such as the Public Works Department, WASA, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Department of Public Health Engineering, Health Engineering Department, Bangladesh Water Development Board, and Education Engineering Department implement projects using separate rate schedules. In this context, she directed officials to unify the rate schedules of all agencies to ensure timely implementation and cost efficiency.

Project Director of Hi-Tech City-2, Md. Siddiqur Rahman, stated that the additional allocation will be used for installing gas lines in the project area, purchasing cables for connection from substations, and constructing security towers. However, due to delays including three rounds of file processing over one year, completing the work within the scheduled timeframe may be difficult. The revised project may take until June–July 2027 for completion.

In the same meeting, three new projects and five revised projects were approved, along with an extension of one ongoing project. Government financing accounts for Tk 36,490 crore 93 lakh, while organizational own funding stands at Tk 204 crore 79 lakh.

Among the approved projects are two from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs: (1) “Establishment of Chattogram Muslim Institute Cultural Complex (2nd Revision)” and (2) “Construction of Multi-storey Building for the Public Library Directorate (2nd Revision)”. One project from the Ministry of Health Education and Family Welfare: “Upgradation/Reconstruction of Existing Mother and Child Welfare Centres in District Towns into 30-bed MCWCs (Phase I)”. One project from the Ministry of Social Welfare: “Construction/Reconstruction of Government Children Homes and Small Child Shelters (2nd Revision)”. One project from the Ministry of Defence: “Construction of 4 x SM Barrack Complexes to Solve Accommodation Problems of Soldiers at Savar Cantonment”. One project from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works: “Chattogram City Outer Ring Road (Patenga to Sagorika) (5th Revised)”. One project from the Ministry of Water Resources: “Padma Barrage (Phase I)”. One project from the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources: “Gas Pipeline Construction from Dhanua to Mymensingh for Gas Supply to Mymensingh Combined Cycle Power Plant (1st Revision)”.

According to meeting sources, the Planning Minister informed ECNEC about two previously approved projects involving less than Tk 50 crore. These include (1) Infrastructure Development Project of Mymensingh Zilla School, Mymensingh and (2) Construction of Airmen Barrack Complex at Bangladesh Air Force Base Kurmitola.

Among all approved projects, the most discussed was the Padma Barrage Project, with an estimated cost of Tk 33,474 crore 45 lakh. Through this project, approximately 290 crore cubic metres of water will be conserved in the Padma River. In addition, river systems including Hisna–Mathabhanga, Gorai–Madhumati, Chandana–Barasia, Boral, and Ichamati will be restored.

In the first phase of the Padma Barrage construction, dredging and re-excavation will be carried out in the 135.6 km Gorai–Madhumati river system and the 246.46 km Hisna river system.

Other works include construction of Gorai off-take with 15 spillways, fish pass, navigation lock, and a 36.6 MW hydropower plant. Additionally, four spillways at Chandana off-take, five spillways at Hisna off-take, and a 180 km afflux embankment will be constructed.

Once the first phase is implemented, at least 19 districts and 120 upazilas across Khulna, Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Barishal divisions will directly benefit.

In the second phase, additional supporting infrastructure will be built, along with restoration of the Chandana–Barasia, Boral, and Ichamati river systems.

The project aims to store and regulate Padma River water during the dry season to restore freshwater flow. It is scheduled for implementation from July 2026 to June 2033. This is considered one of the government’s major initiatives to address long-standing water scarcity in the southwestern region.

The total project area of the Padma Barrage covers approximately 37 percent of Bangladesh’s total land area, spanning 26 districts and 163 upazilas across four divisions. In the first phase, its impact will be felt in 19 districts, including Kushtia, Meherpur, Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, Magura, Jashore, Narail, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira (Khulna Division), Rajbari, Faridpur, Gopalganj (Dhaka Division), Pabna, Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj (Rajshahi Division), and Pirojpur (Barishal Division).

DBTech/IH/EK/OR