The government has approved a Tk 41.89-billion project to develop supporting infrastructure for the proposed Chinese Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Chattogram, days ahead of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's scheduled visit to Beijing later this month.
The meeting approved a total of five development projects involving an estimated cost of Tk 70.03 billion, State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki told reporters after the meeting.
Although the previous ECNEC meeting sent back the "Supporting Infrastructure for Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone" project for further review, the highest economic policy-making body officially endorsed it in Tuesday's meeting.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to visit China from June 23 to 26 following a two-day official trip to Malaysia.
The Chinese SEZ project aims to develop off-site infrastructure for an 800-acre industrial enclave in Anwara, Chattogram, with a view to attracting Chinese investment to Bangladesh.
Officials said the project will be implemented by the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) under a government-to-government (G2G) framework, while construction work is likely to be carried out by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).
Under the project, with support from the Chinese government, a range of infrastructure facilities will be developed, including a 1,235-metre specialised access road linking to the zone's jetty facility, a 1,181-metre four-lane highway connecting the industrial enclave to the primary transport network, a 330-metre bridge, and a deep-water multipurpose jetty capable of handling cargo vessels of up to 20,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT).
According to the government, the SEZ will develop sustainable infrastructure for sectors such as textiles and pharmaceuticals, with the potential to create 100,000 jobs.
Meanwhile, the prime minister instructed the authorities concerned to investigate alleged irregularities and identify implementation bottlenecks in the ongoing "100 Technical School and College Establishment Project", which has faced significant delays and allegations of corruption.
The ECNEC meeting approved the third revision of the project, increasing its cost by Tk 9.24 billion to Tk 25.20 billion and extending the implementation deadline until December 2027.
The project was originally launched in January 2014 with a target of completion by June 2016 at an estimated cost of Tk 22.81 billion.
Of the five projects approved on Tuesday, three were new initiatives and two were revised projects.
Of the total Tk 70.03 billion project cost, Tk 45.36 billion will be financed from domestic resources, while Tk 24.67 billion will come from foreign loans.
The other projects endorsed by ECNEC include the "Rehabilitation of the Muhuri-Kahuwa Flood Control, Drainage and Irrigation Project" in Feni district at a cost of Tk 15.42 billion, and the "Karatoya River System Development Project" at Tk 10.94 billion.
Additionally, the committee approved the "Protection of the Komarkandi area under the Talbaria-Komarkandi area of Mirpur Upazila in Kushtia district (1st revised) project" at a cost of Tk 1.77 billion.
Highlighting the significance of these projects, State Minister Zonayed Saki emphasised the projects' critical role in driving industrialisation and employment generation.
He also noted that a digital dashboard will be introduced to ensure strict monitoring of the projects.
Planning Commission members, secretaries and senior officials from the ministries and agencies concerned attended the ECNEC meeting.
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