The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved a project worth Tk 4,371 crore to restore navigability in four rivers to ensure smooth and safe navigation. The project titled 'Development and Restoration of Navigability of Old Brahmaputra, Dharla, Tulai and Punarbhava Rivers' was approved in the 8th meeting of the ECNEC in the current fiscal year under the chairmanship of ECNEC President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the ECNEC NEC Conference Room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital today.
After the meeting, State Minister for Finance and Planning M. A. Mannan told reporters that 15 projects were approved at an estimated cost of Tk 13,218.31 crore in today's meeting.
He said, "Out of the total project cost, the Bangladesh government c level contact list will provide 8,479 crore 22 lakh taka and the organizations will provide 4,48 crore 43 lakh taka from their own funds. On the other hand, the remaining 4,290 crore 66 lakh taka will be available as project assistance."
The State Minister for Finance and Planning said that the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority under the Ministry of Shipping will implement the navigability development and restoration projects of four rivers by June 2024.
The project areas are Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Gaibandha districts of Rangpur division, Kishoreganj district of Dhaka division and Jamalpur, Sherpur and Mymensingh districts of Mymensingh division. Under this project, the old Brahmaputra River will be dredged to a 100-meter wide and 3-meter deep to upgrade it to a second-class waterway for easy and smooth transportation of passengers and goods at low cost.
In addition, to upgrade the Dharla River to a third-class waterway, a 60-meter area of the river will be dredged to a width of 36 meters and a depth of 2 meters. In addition, through necessary excavation, the Punarbhaba River will be converted into a third-class waterway and the Tulai River into a fourth-class waterway. Out of the 15 projects approved in the meeting, 10 are new and 5 are revised projects.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in the meeting that Cox's Bazar Airport will be developed in such a way that large aircraft like Boeing 777 or Airbus 340 can easily take off and land. She said that this airport is important in all aspects.
The meeting approved the second amendment project worth Tk 1,290 crore 36 lakh to prevent school dropout. Under this project, Rohingya children sheltering in Cox's Bazar will be provided with informal education in their own language or English. The project will end in December 2020.
Other projects approved in the meeting are the development of the Chittagong section of the Hathazari-Fatikchhari-Manikchhari-Matiranga, Khagrachari road at a cost of Tk 399.44 crore, the construction of the Sonahat Bridge over the Dudhkumar River on the Bhurungamari-Sonahat Land Port-Inner Port-Nageshwari Highway at a cost of Tk 232.95 crore, the construction of the Bangladesh Chancery Complex in Berlin, Germany at a cost of Tk 109.47 crore, and the establishment of a powdered milk factory at Baghabari Ghat in Sirajganj at a cost of Tk 105.93 crore.
The remaining projects approved in the meeting are, Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project at a cost of Tk 280 crore 47 lakh, Bank Protection (First Revised) Project to protect Rajapur and Purba Ilisha Unions of Sadar Upazila of Bhola from erosion of Meghna River at a cost of Tk 343 crore 91 lakh, Bank Protection and Flood Control Project of Halda River and Dhurong Canal in Fatikchhari and Hathazari Upazilas of Chittagong at a cost of Tk 156 crore 76 lakh, Construction of BFDC Complex at a cost of Tk 322 crore 77 lakh, Construction of National Occupational Health and Safety Research and Training Institute at a cost of Tk 165 crore 28 lakh, Further Development of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University in Gopalganj (First Revised) Project at a cost of Tk 250 crore 56 lakh, Development of Small Irrigation through Use of Solar Energy at a cost of Tk 82 crore 63 lakh, Sustainable Forest and Livelihood Project at a cost of Tk 1,502 crore 72 lakh.