Published: 09:19 AM, 23 August 2026
ECNEC approves 10 projects, unveils 5-year reform plan
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday approved 10 development projects involving a total cost of Tk9,333.58 crore, including six new and four revised schemes.
The approval came at an ECNEC meeting held at the NEC Conference Room at the Planning Commission, with Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman in the chair. Of the total project cost, Tk8,488.71 crore will come from the government’s own funds, while Tk936.36 crore will be financed through project loans, according to the Planning Ministry.
The approved projects cover healthcare, roads and bridges, water resources, rural infrastructure, livestock, power and energy, and defence. The approved projects include the replacement and reconstruction of dilapidated infrastructure at Dhaka Medical College, costing Tk 1,154.83 crore, to be implemented from September 2026 to August 2030. The first revision of a project to construct 19 hostel buildings for students of 10 medical colleges was also approved, increasing the cost by Tk 201.70 crore to a total of Tk 1,630.45 crore.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare received approval for two projects.
One involves replacing and reconstructing unusable structures at Dhaka Medical College, while the other will construct 19 modern hostel buildings for students of 10 medical colleges under a revised scheme.
The ECNEC also approved the Roads and Highways Department’s Capacity Development for Smart Maintenance Technology of Bridges under Roads and Highways Department in Bangladesh project.
Two projects under the Ministry of Water Resources were approved. One aims to protect Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila from erosion along the right bank of the Dharla River.
The other involves strengthening the Bashbaria ferry ghat in Sitakunda, Chattogram, and the road linking the ferry ghat with Kumiraghat. The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives received approval for a project to rehabilitate and strengthen rural roads.
The ECNEC also approved a project to strengthen the capacity of the Department of Livestock Services under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.
Two power-sector projects were approved under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
They involve constructing a 100MW solar power plant at Madarganj in Jamalpur and expanding and strengthening electrical infrastructure in the Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO) area.
An infrastructure development project for Ramu Cantonment was also approved under the Ministry of Defence. Meanwhile, the meeting was informed of nine projects costing less than Tk50 crore that had already been approved by the planning minister.
These include a feasibility study for establishing a BSL-3 laboratory and strengthening vaccine and biologics research capacity, the Bangladesh Environmental Sustainability and Transformation (BEST) Project, and the Sundarbans Protection Project.
Other projects include expansion of the south-western transmission grid, construction of a 132/33/11kV underground grid substation in Gulshan, improvement of the electricity distribution system under DPDC, expansion and strengthening of mosque libraries, and promoting the optimal use of new media for public service delivery.
A project to enhance modern technological capacity for bridge maintenance management under the Roads and Highways Department was approved at Tk 115.73 crore, with Tk 107.97 crore coming from project loans or grants. Projects for protecting Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila from erosion on the right bank of the Dharla River and constructing a coastal embankment in Chattogram's Sitakunda were also approved at Tk 298.65 crore and Tk 558.83 crore, respectively.
A project to improve pre-primary and primary education in Cox’s Bazar district and Bhasan Char in Noakhali was also among the projects presented to the meeting.
At the meeting, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman also unveiled the Five-Year Strategic Framework for Reform and Development, a publication prepared by the General Economics Division of the Planning Commission.
