DHAKA, April 26, 2017 (BSS) – The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) yesterday approved a project for construction of 560 model mosques and Islamic Cultural Centres in every district and upazila involving Tk 9,062.41 crore.
The meeting was held at the NEC Conference Room with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
“A total of 13 projects have been approved involving Tk 20,402 crore 75 lakh and 79 thousand,” Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told journalists at a post-meeting briefing.
Of the total project cost, Tk 9,672 crore 75 lakh and 79 thousand will come from the national exchequer and the funds organizations concerned and Tk 10,730 crore from project assistance, he said.
The government, he said, has taken steps to construct modern mosques and Islamic Cultural Centres with financial assistance of Saudi Arabia. These mosques and cultural centres will have library and other facilities such as Koran teaching, education of children and training of Haj passengers and Imams.
The project will be implemented from April 2017 to December 2019, he said, adding that the Saudi government will give Tk 8,169.79 crore while Tk 892.62 crore will come from the government’s exchequer.
The minister said the ECNEC cleared an IT project involving Tk 1,796.40 crore and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina instructed the authorities concerned to construct an IT park in each district so that people can acquire more knowledge about ICT.
The prime minister also directed the authorities concerned to construct LNG terminal on land instead of sea, he added.
He said the ECNEC sent back a project related to rural poverty because the prime minister does not want a rise in the urban poverty. The prime minister said high rise building will have to be built for slum dwellers, the minister said.
Other projects are constriction of Patuakhali-Gopalganj 400KV transmission line and Gopalganj 400KV grid substation (Tk 3,294.24 crore), construction of Moheshkhali-Anwara gas transmission pipeline (Tk 1,109.23 crore), construction of road along the bank of Karnaphuli river from Kalurghat bridge to Chaktai canal (Tk 1,978.88 crore), expansion and development of important regional highways (Tk 798.15 crore), construction of Thanchi-Rimakori-Madak-Likri road (Tk 469.53 crore), construction of Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf marine drive road (3rd phase) (Tk 455.82 crore), upgrading the Sylhet city bypass-Garrison link to Shah Paran bridge terminal road into four-lane (Tk 235.66 crore), expansion and development of Khalishpur-Moheshpur-Duttanagar-Zinnahnagar-Jadabpur highway (Tk 78.40 crore), setting up of Sunamganj Textile Institute (Tk 97.22 crore), construction of three wholesale kitchen markets in Dhaka city (Tk 350 crore and introduction of 3G technology and 2.5G network expansion (Tk675 crore).