DHAKA, Oct 31, 2023 (BSS) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked the authorities concerned to form a dedicated fund to properly maintain the roads and highways in the country.

"We've built so many roads and highways in the country over the last 15 years. These are being damaged due to nature. So, it's very much necessary to keep those suitable for plying of vehicles through necessary maintenance. For this, a dedicated fund should be formed for bearing the expenditure of maintenance," she said.

The Prime Minister said this while chairing a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held today at the NEC Conference Room in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

Planning Minister MA Mannan and State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam briefed reporters after the meeting while Planning Division Secretary Satyajit Karmakar, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were present.

The planning minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the authorities concerned to form a dedicated fund for maintaining the countrywide roads and highways.
 
He said the premier in this regard directed the road transport and highways division to prepare a framework for forming this fund.

Directing the concerned ministries and divisions to take necessary steps for speedily undertaking the foreign funded or aided projects and thus implement those, Sheikh Hasina said, "As a result of this, the countrymen will be benefitted at one hand, the foreign currency reserve will be boosted on the other hand. The ongoing projects should be completed in a speedy manner."

Answering to a question, the planning minister said that no project was given approval in the day's meeting centering the next general election rather all approved projects aimed at unleashing overall development of the country.

The premier in the ECNEC meeting had claimed that no project was approved in the ECNEC meeting over the last 15 years without proper scrutiny while there was no haste while giving approval to a project.

Replying to another question, Mannan said, "We work for the peoples' welfare while we have enough trust and confidence over the countrymen. We were not engaged in any devastating work. So, we hope to retain power again with the peoples' mandate."

When asked whether there is any chance for deterioration of the economic condition owing to political programmes centering the next general election, he said the arson and vandalism of the opposition since October 28 have put an impact over the livelihood of general mass.

The planning minister, however, suggested raising such question before those who are now engaged in arson, vandalism and such destructive activities.

The ECNEC thanked the Prime Minister for strongly protesting the barbaric attack of the Israeli forces over the innocent Palestine people as the premier was very much vocal in this regard both at Jatiya Sangsad and also at international arena.

State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said that the day's ECNEC meeting witnessed approval of a hefty number of 37 projects since the meeting took place after a gap of almost two months.