Dhaka:The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 13 development projects with a total estimated cost of Taka 58,088.92 crore. Among these, a new project involves drilling two gas wells at a cost of Tk 592 crore to provide 30 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairman Tarique Rahman presided over the sixth ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Out of the 13 approved projects, 11 are new, while two have been revised.
The funding for these projects will include Taka 50,041.20 crore from the government, Tk 73.07 crore from the concerned organizations' own funds, and Tk 7,974.65 crore from project assistance. State Minister for Planning Md. Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki provided details following the meeting.
The Planning Commission has detailed that the drilling project, titled "Drilling of Two Appraisal-cum-Development Wells (Titas-32 and Titas-33) at Titas Gas Field," will be undertaken by the Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited (BGFCL). The project aims to enhance domestic gas production and is set to be completed by September 2029.
The government plans to drill 150 wells by 2031 to boost gas output and an additional 150 wells between 2031 and 2035. The wells at Titas Gas Field are expected to produce approximately 100.74 billion cubic feet of gas and 60,444 barrels of condensate over a decade.
The approval also includes projects across various ministries, such as the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry, which secured five projects, and the Home Ministry, which obtained two project approvals. Other ministries also received approvals for initiatives including housing, science and technology, education, and disaster management.
Furthermore, the meeting acknowledged five smaller projects costing under Tk 50 crore each, which the Planning Minister had already approved. These include the modernization of cardiac services, ensuring safe internet use for youth, and infrastructure improvement in Dhaka.
Ministers, advisers to the Prime Minister, state ministers, and relevant officials were present at the ECNEC meeting to discuss and finalize these projects.