UNB, Dhaka :
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Thursday approved the ‘Bangladesh Regional Domestic Shipping Transport Project-1 with an outlay of Tk 3,200 crore, aiming to ensure safe journeys of passengers and goods transportation through Chittagong-Dhaka-Ashuganj river route.
The approval came from the 11th Ecnec meeting of the current fiscal year held at the NEC conference room with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said a total of 12 projects were approved involving Tk 9,663.99 crore. “Of the total project cost, Tk 4,255.38 crore will come from the national exchequer, Tk 533.08 crore from the organisation’s own fund while Tk 4,875.53 crore as project assistance,” he said. Of the approved 12 projects, nine are new while three are revised ones.
The Planning Minister said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) will implement the Bangladesh Regional Domestic Shipping Transport Project-1 (Chittagong-Dhaka Ashuganj and connected river ways dredging and installation of other related establishments including terminal) by June 2024.
Of the total project cost, the government will provide Tk 320 crore while the World Bank Tk 2,880 crore as project assistance. The minister said the other aims of the project are to maintain navigability throughout the year on the route, installing security equipment to ensure smooth plying of river vessels round the clock, and thus reduce the travel and transportation time by around 10 hours on Dhaka-Chittagong river route from the existing 40 hours.
The project will be implemented in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Shariatpur, Narsingdi, Brahmanbaria, Kishoreganj, Chittagong, Chandpur, Laxmipur, Barisal and Bhola districts. The operations under the project include conducting performance-based capital dredging and maintenance dredging to maintain navigability on Chittagong-Dhaka-Ashuganj domestic river route, constructing one new passenger terminal at Shashanghat in Dhaka, development of three passenger terminals at Narayanganj, Chandpur and Barisal, constructing one cargo terminal at Pangaon and another one in Ashuganj. The Planning Minister said the ADP Implementation rate for the July-October period of the current fiscal year reached 14 percent with Tk 16,772 crore which was only 11 percent during the same period of the previous fiscal year with an expenditure of Tk 11,500 crore.
The Ecnec meeting gave nod to another project, ‘Grid-based power supply efficiency improvement’, at an estimated cost of Tk 2,982.38 crore to be implemented by June 2021. The Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited (PGCB) in 27 upazilas of Dhaka, Gazipur, Kishoreganj, Munshiganj, Narayanganj, Tangail, Rajbari, Bogra, Naogaon, Sirajganj, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Jhenidah, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Barisal, Pirojpur, Feni and Comilla districts spending Tk 1,242.53 crore.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Thursday approved the ‘Bangladesh Regional Domestic Shipping Transport Project-1 with an outlay of Tk 3,200 crore, aiming to ensure safe journeys of passengers and goods transportation through Chittagong-Dhaka-Ashuganj river route.
The approval came from the 11th Ecnec meeting of the current fiscal year held at the NEC conference room with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said a total of 12 projects were approved involving Tk 9,663.99 crore. “Of the total project cost, Tk 4,255.38 crore will come from the national exchequer, Tk 533.08 crore from the organisation’s own fund while Tk 4,875.53 crore as project assistance,” he said. Of the approved 12 projects, nine are new while three are revised ones.
The Planning Minister said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) will implement the Bangladesh Regional Domestic Shipping Transport Project-1 (Chittagong-Dhaka Ashuganj and connected river ways dredging and installation of other related establishments including terminal) by June 2024.
Of the total project cost, the government will provide Tk 320 crore while the World Bank Tk 2,880 crore as project assistance. The minister said the other aims of the project are to maintain navigability throughout the year on the route, installing security equipment to ensure smooth plying of river vessels round the clock, and thus reduce the travel and transportation time by around 10 hours on Dhaka-Chittagong river route from the existing 40 hours.
The project will be implemented in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Shariatpur, Narsingdi, Brahmanbaria, Kishoreganj, Chittagong, Chandpur, Laxmipur, Barisal and Bhola districts. The operations under the project include conducting performance-based capital dredging and maintenance dredging to maintain navigability on Chittagong-Dhaka-Ashuganj domestic river route, constructing one new passenger terminal at Shashanghat in Dhaka, development of three passenger terminals at Narayanganj, Chandpur and Barisal, constructing one cargo terminal at Pangaon and another one in Ashuganj. The Planning Minister said the ADP Implementation rate for the July-October period of the current fiscal year reached 14 percent with Tk 16,772 crore which was only 11 percent during the same period of the previous fiscal year with an expenditure of Tk 11,500 crore.
The Ecnec meeting gave nod to another project, ‘Grid-based power supply efficiency improvement’, at an estimated cost of Tk 2,982.38 crore to be implemented by June 2021. The Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited (PGCB) in 27 upazilas of Dhaka, Gazipur, Kishoreganj, Munshiganj, Narayanganj, Tangail, Rajbari, Bogra, Naogaon, Sirajganj, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Jhenidah, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Barisal, Pirojpur, Feni and Comilla districts spending Tk 1,242.53 crore.
