ECNEC-approval

A major humanitarian initiative on paper aims to provide street children with safe shelter and a better future. However, the noble initiative is beginning with a list of excessive and unnecessary expenditures. The project titled “Rehabilitation of Street Children and Children at Risk with Accommodation Facilities” has an estimated cost of more than Tk 400 crore and will be implemented by the Bangladesh Shishu Academy. Despite involving no technical or complex work, the project has proposed...

A major investment plan to improve the quality of primary education has faced significant pressure, forcing authorities to reduce the proposed expenditure. The Planning Commission has managed to cut the budget in two phases. The proposed cost of the Fifth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP-5), submitted by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, was nearly Tk 50,000 crore. However, following questions raised at a Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting, around Tk 8,859 cro...

A plan to allegedly misuse funds has been drawn up in the name of a grant. Now, only approval remains. The project, titled “Innovation Climate Smart Urban Development,” aims to explore ways to promote climate resilient urban development in a country facing extreme risks from climate change. The project has an estimated cost of Tk 874 million, which will be provided entirely as a grant by the German Development Cooperation agency, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit...

The government is moving forward with three new metro rail projects to reduce traffic congestion in the capital and improve the public transport system. The revised costs of MRT Line 1 and MRT Line 5 Northern Route, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), have been approved. At the same time, the new MRT Line 5 Southern Route, jointly funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and South Korea, has also received approval. The three projects were approved at a meeting o...

Due to various complications, funds cannot be spent on the power distribution system development activities in different areas of Dhaka. As a result, an allocation of Tk 261 crore 81 lakh is being dropped from the project titled “Development of Power Distribution System in Areas Under DPDC.” Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has already approved the second revision proposal of the project. However, the matter will be placed before the next meeting of the Executive...

The government is giving special priority to infrastructure development in Rangpur City Corporation, a long neglected urban area in northern Bangladesh. As part of the initiative, it is undertaking a special project worth Tk 16.53 billion. Concerned officials expect the project to bring overall infrastructure development to the newly established city corporation area. To this end, the Local Government Division has proposed a project titled ‘Development of Important Infrastructure of Rangpu...