DHAKA, Sep 11, 2018 (BSS) – The Executive Committee of the National
Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved the Selected Madrasha Development
Project with an estimated cost of Taka 5,918.63 crore in a bid to ensure
infrastructural development of some 2,000 selected madrashas in the country.
The approval came from the sixth ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year
(FY19) held at the National Economic Council (NEC) conference room in the
city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa
Kamal said a total of 18 projects were approved today involving an overall
estimated cost of Taka 17,786.95 crore.
“Of the total project cost, Taka 13,813.44 crore will come from the
Government of Bangladesh, Taka 42.62 crore from the organisation’s own fund
while the rest of Taka 3,930.89 crore from project assistance,” he added.
The Planning Minister said some 2,000 selected madrashas will be covered
under the project where each members of parliament has given a list of six
madrashas in their respective constituencies to be covered under the project.
Besides, some masrashas will be selected under special consideration.
The Directorate of Madrasha Education and Education Engineering Department
under the Technical and Madrasah Education Division will implement the
project by June 2021.
Of the approved 18 projects, 12 are new and six are revised projects.
The Madrasah Development Project operations include construction of
madsrasha buildings, classrooms, upward extension of madrasha buildings,
construction of new madrasha buildings in divisional and metropolitan areas,
hilly areas, coastal areas, haor, baor, beel and river prone areas, salinity
prone areas and procurement of necessary furniture.
Answering to a question, AHM Mustafa Kamal, commonly known as Lotus Kamal,
said a project related to the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is
likely to be placed in the next ECNEC meeting.
The use of EVMs might be on trial-run basis in the next general election,
but the matter is up to the Election Commission, he informed.
The other projects approved in the meeting are Rural Transport Improvement
Project-2 (RTIP-2), second revised, with Taka 4,819.70 crore, Completing the
unfinished works of PC Girder Bridge on Lohalia River under Patuakhali
district with Taka 102 crore, Embankment protection and dredging of Arialkhan
River under Faridpur district with Taka 291.49 crore, Noakhali, Feni,
Laxmipur, Chattogram and Chandpur agriculture development project with Taka
69.43 crore, Power distribution system development, Chattogram Zone, first
revised with Taka 1,421.48 crore, Extension and strengthening of Bangladesh
Standards and Testing Institution (fifth district), third revised with Taka
51.45 crore, Development of Pabna Science and Technology University with Taka
480.60 crore, Integration, modernization, maintenance and extension of safety
facility of 3MW capacity research reactor facility of nuclear research
institution in Savar with Taka 74.95 crore.
The rest of the approved projects are Urban primary health care services
delivery project (second phase) with Taka 1,136 crore, Physical
Infrastructure development of eight pourasabhas under Jamalpur district with
Taka 612.86 crore, Land acquisition for surface water treatment plant of
Rajshahi WASA with Taka 78.69 crore, Preservation of history and historical
building and surroundings development of Dhaka Old Central Jail with Taka
607.36 crore, Preservation of killing field and construction of monument for
the mass killing committed by the Pakistani occupation forces during the War
of Liberation in 1971 with Taka 442.40 crore, Pachuria-Faridpur-Bhanga
Railway Track rehabilitation and construction, second revised with Taka
347.31 crore, Jamalpur-Dhanua-Kamalpur-Roumari-Datbhanga district highway
widening and strengthening (Z-4606) (Kurigram portion) with Taka 332.10
crore, Strengthening of first class weather surveillance station at 13 river
ports in Bangladesh with Taka 80.50 crore and Barisal Division rural
Infrastructure Development with Taka 920 crore.