Govt finalises 20 projects to bolster SA regional economic cooperation
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Nazmul Ahsan
The government has finalized 20 projects, mostly in the areas of infrastructure and telecommunication, having direct and indirect relevance to the efforts for bolstering the economic cooperation among regional countries, officials in the Prime Minister's Office said.
The estimated cost of the projects is about $650 million.
The signal to go-ahead with the development projects was given recently by Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina. The nod came one month after the approval of 10 large sub-regional power and energy projects costing about $ 3.0 billion.
"We are going ahead in line with the instruction given by the Prime Minister to finalise projects of sub-regional interest at the earliest,'' a top official in the PMO told the FE.
"The cost for the projects, which is about $ 650 million, is expected to be borne by World Bank, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, Japan and India."
He said the concept of regional connectivity would not be fruitful if sub-regional mega projects in the areas of infrastructure, tourism, telecommunication, power and energy are not taken by the countries concerned.
The infrastructure projects are-construction of Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link at a cost of $22.86 million, construction of rail cum road bridge over the river Karnaphuli at Kalurghat at a cost of $89.29 million, construction of single line metre gauge railway track from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar via Ramu and Ramu to Gundum near Myanmar border at a cost of $296.87 million and improvement of Dharkhar-Akhaura-Senarbadi Road as regional highway at a cost of $16.48 million.
In the area of telecommunication, establishment of an alternative submarine cable link between Khulna and Chennai at a cost of $50.50 million has been approved. Dhaka will bear the cost for establishing the link up to the India border, an official said.
Details of establishing the submarine cable between the two countries will be finalized later, a top official in the telecommunication ministry said.
The meeting has given go-ahead signal to establish the South Asia Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Information Highway (Bangladesh Part) at cost of $4.02 million and Empowering Rural Areas Through Community E-Centers in Bangladesh Under SASEC at a cost of $4.2 million.
According to the meeting decision, a project on collaboration between the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh and other related higher educational bodies in Asia and the Pacific Region at a cost of $ 42.86 million has also been approved.
Besides, Higher Educational Linkage Programme between the universities of Bangladesh and the SAARC Countries at a cost of $ 28.57 million has been approved.
Other projects include Agricultural biotechnology support project at a cost of $ 25 million, support to post harvest technology, agro-processing and value addition of fruits and vegetables at a cost of $15 million and adaptive trail of elite varieties and materials of major crops among similar ecosystem in the region.
Earlier, the PM approved the participation of Bangladesh to implement a number of large energy and power projects, which have regional interest.
The government has finalized 20 projects, mostly in the areas of infrastructure and telecommunication, having direct and indirect relevance to the efforts for bolstering the economic cooperation among regional countries, officials in the Prime Minister's Office said.
The estimated cost of the projects is about $650 million.
The signal to go-ahead with the development projects was given recently by Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina. The nod came one month after the approval of 10 large sub-regional power and energy projects costing about $ 3.0 billion.
"We are going ahead in line with the instruction given by the Prime Minister to finalise projects of sub-regional interest at the earliest,'' a top official in the PMO told the FE.
"The cost for the projects, which is about $ 650 million, is expected to be borne by World Bank, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, Japan and India."
He said the concept of regional connectivity would not be fruitful if sub-regional mega projects in the areas of infrastructure, tourism, telecommunication, power and energy are not taken by the countries concerned.
The infrastructure projects are-construction of Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link at a cost of $22.86 million, construction of rail cum road bridge over the river Karnaphuli at Kalurghat at a cost of $89.29 million, construction of single line metre gauge railway track from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar via Ramu and Ramu to Gundum near Myanmar border at a cost of $296.87 million and improvement of Dharkhar-Akhaura-Senarbadi Road as regional highway at a cost of $16.48 million.
In the area of telecommunication, establishment of an alternative submarine cable link between Khulna and Chennai at a cost of $50.50 million has been approved. Dhaka will bear the cost for establishing the link up to the India border, an official said.
Details of establishing the submarine cable between the two countries will be finalized later, a top official in the telecommunication ministry said.
The meeting has given go-ahead signal to establish the South Asia Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Information Highway (Bangladesh Part) at cost of $4.02 million and Empowering Rural Areas Through Community E-Centers in Bangladesh Under SASEC at a cost of $4.2 million.
According to the meeting decision, a project on collaboration between the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh and other related higher educational bodies in Asia and the Pacific Region at a cost of $ 42.86 million has also been approved.
Besides, Higher Educational Linkage Programme between the universities of Bangladesh and the SAARC Countries at a cost of $ 28.57 million has been approved.
Other projects include Agricultural biotechnology support project at a cost of $ 25 million, support to post harvest technology, agro-processing and value addition of fruits and vegetables at a cost of $15 million and adaptive trail of elite varieties and materials of major crops among similar ecosystem in the region.
Earlier, the PM approved the participation of Bangladesh to implement a number of large energy and power projects, which have regional interest.