The approval came from the weekly Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room. Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting, joining it virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

“Today, Ecnec approved six projects with a total estimated cost of Tk 5,619.46 crore (only additional costs of three revised project were counted here),” said Planning Division Secretary Mohammad Jainul Bari at a press briefing after the meeting.

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Of the total cost, Tk 5,519.87 crore will come from the national coffer while Tk 42.07 crore from the own funds of the organisations concerned and Tk 57.52 crore from foreign sources as loan.

According to the project factsheet, ‘House construction for insolvent freedom fighters’ project will be implemented by June 2023 and the entire cost of Tk 4,122.988 crore will come from government funds.

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The main objective of the project is to construct ‘Bir Nibash’ (houses) for insolvent freedom fighters, Birangana (women freedom fighters), widows and children of martyred and late freedom fighters for their socioeconomic uplift.

The houses will be given them as gift from the Prime Minister on the occasion of the Mujib Borsha and the celebrations of 50 years of independence.

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The major project activities include construction of 30,000 Bir Nibash, procurement of office equipment, outsourcing services, furniture and electricity equipment.

Two other fresh projects are ‘Sports complex construction for special needs individuals’ with an estimated cost of Tk 447.54 crore and ‘Rural infrastructure development of Pirojpur district’ with Tk 600 crore.

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Besides, Ecnec cleared the first revision of the ‘Widening and Development of Rajshahi Kalpana Cinema Hall-Talaimari Intersection Road Project raising its cost at Tk 164.19 crore from Tk 127.50 crore, while the first revision of ‘Projection of right bank of the Padma River in Zajira and Naria upazilas of Shariatpur district enhancing the project cost to Tk 1,417.19 crore from the original cost of Tk 1,097.21 crore and the second revision of the Construction of new 132/33KV and 33/11KV substation under DPDC’ project raising its cost to Tk 2,479.94 crore from Tk 2,387.69 crore in the first revised cost.