Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the authorities concerned to purchase two cargo aircrafts for exporting agro-based products abroad. Demand of Bangladeshi agricultural products including vegetables is increasing significantly in world market. “We have shown our success in cultivating vegetables including different genres of foreign vegetables in our land. We are exporting vegetables to different countries in the world. Now time has come to procure two cargo planes for exporting these products,” quoting the premier, planning minister MA Mannan told reporters on Tuesday following the ECNEC meeting held at NEC conference room in the city’s Agargoan area.
“Prime Minister asked the ECNEC meeting that the authority concerned should buy two cargo planes for exporting vegetables as production has been increased in the country. We are now exporting vegetables by others planes which increases the import cost. With our own cargo airplanes, we can export our products at a low cost,” the planning minister said.
The premier made the directive of procuring cargo plane while the ECNEC has approved a project on ‘Strengthen Agriculture Marketing Directorate’ with estimating a sum of Tk 160 crore. “Finance secretary Abdur Rouf Talukder told the ECNEC meeting that Biman Bangladesh Airlines is capable of procuring two cargo planes with its own fund,” Mannan added.
The Prime Minister also informed the ECNEC meeting that another Dreamliner plane would arrive in November this year, the minister said. The Prime Minister has also given some other directives including ensuring underground powerline across the country, construction of bridges and culverts at haor area to ease flow of water, construction of elevated expressway where needed, the planning minister added.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 12 projects involving Tk 3,470.20 crore, he also said. Of the total cost, Tk 3,163.50 crore will come from the government exchequer and Tk 306.70 crore will come from the project assistance, he added. The ECNEC has also approved expansion of GNSS CORS Network and Modernise Tidal Station with Tk 114 crore, Construction of Thanci-Remarki-Modok-Likri Road with Tk 853 crore, Construction of Khulna Tax Building with Tk 71 crore.
