In a bid to ensure country’s security and boost economy the government has decided to construct developed roads in the border districts.
Planning minister MA Mannan said this while briefing journalists on Tuesday following a meeting of the executive committee of the national economic council (ECNEC) held at National Economic Council (NEC) in the city’s Agargaon area.
“There are 32 border districts in the country. Among them, 30 districts are along Indian border. Bangladesh has 4156 kilometres border with India and 271 kilometres border with Myanmar,” the minister said. “Bangladesh is developing, so we will construct developed roads at all border areas. We are constructing inter-district four-lane highways and developing village roads. Now we will construct developed border roads,” he added. Besides, the ECNEC meeting has approved seven projects at an estimated cost of Tk 4,460.54 crore with Prime Minister and ECNEC chairperson Sheikh Hasina in the chair, the minister further said. “Tk 4,346.40 crore will come from the government exchequer and Tk 114.14 crore from the concerned organisation’s own fund,” he said, adding that of the approved 7 projects, 3 are new while 4 others are revised projects.
The minister said a project for construction of border roads at Mymensingh and Netrakona districts’ portion worth of Tk 559.56 crore will be completed by December 2021.
Once the project implemented, trade and commerce will be easy with neighbouring India. It will also boost the economy and ensure security.
The ECNEC has approved a Tk 767.25 crore project for procuring ancillary marine vessels for the Mongla Port to handle ocean going ships. The project would be implemented by Mongla Port Authority under the Ministry of Shipping. It will be completed by June 2022.
Quoting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the planning minister said that all kinds of bulk goods should be transshipped through Mongla Port while thia Port has a very bright prospect of exporting the transit goods of India, Bhutan and Nepal.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has opined to boost river communication with Asam of India, Bhutan and Nepal, the minister added.
The other projects are- Matuail Sanitary Landfill expansion and land development, 1st revised, with an additional cost of Tk 819.68 crore; Construction of drains for addressing water logging at Rajshahi metropolis, 3rd phase (1st revised) with an additional cost of Tk 56.57 crore; Capacity Strengthening of Department of Livestock Services with Tk 220.59 crore; Power Grid Network Strengthening Project under PGCB ( 1st revised) with an additional cost of Tk 2,302.80 crore; and Establishment of Sylhet, Lalmonirhat and Barishal Institute of Livestock Science and Technology with Tk 191.38 crore.
Earlier, the Prime Minister unveiled the cover of the annual report of the Planning Ministry for the fiscal year 2018-19 at the ECNEC meeting.