Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the authorities concerned to take strong efforts to unlock the potential of blue economy in the vast sea area of the country.

She made the directive while chairing the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) at the NEC conference room in the city's Sher-e Bangla Nagar area today.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the premier asked the authorities concerned to take cogent efforts to unlock the potential of the blue economy.

She also directed the authorities concerned to reduce the number of sluice gates gradually and not to construct permanent roads in Haors but rather construct culverts in important places to pass flood water, said the minister.

The PM stressed the need for recognising the contribution of women to the GDP for their household chores.

The Ecnec cleared 11 projects involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 13,655.98 crore.

Among these, seven are new projects, while the remaining four are revised ones.

Among the projects, "Bangladesh Environmental Sustainability and Transformation (BEST)" project got its nod with Tk 2,995.88 crore mainly to enhance the government's capacity to check pollution and promote green investment.

Of the total estimated cost, Tk 10,526.11 crore – 77 percent -- will come from external sources as foreign loans, while the rest Tk 3,129.87 crore will be drawn from the fund of the government.

In terms of cost, the largest three fresh projects are "Sylhet-Charkhai-Shewla Highway Development" project with a cost of Tk 4,257.07 crore; "Accelerating Transport and Trading Connectivity in Eastern South Asia (ACCESS)-Bangladesh Phase-1 (BLPA Component)" project with Tk 3,457.15 crore; and "Bangladesh Environmental Sustainability and Transformation (BEST)" project with Tk 2,995.88 crore.

As per the project factsheet, "Sylhet-Charkhai-Shewla Highway Development" project will be implemented in four upazilas – Sylhet Sadar, Dakkhin Surma, Golapganj, and Beanibazar-- by December 2027.

The ACCESS-Bangladesh Phase-1 (BLPA Component) project will be implemented by June 2027. The Land Port Authority under the Shipping Ministry will execute the project.

The BEST project will be executed by June 2028 in 37 upazilas of 36 districts under eight divisions mainly to enhance the government's capacity to check pollution and promote green investment through the green credit guarantee scheme (GCGS).

The four other new projects are the "Rehabilitation of the 2022 Flood-affected Rural Infrastructures with ADB Emergency Assistance" project with Tk 1,123 crore; "Flood Management Reconstruction Emergency Assistance" project with Tk 699.81 crore; "Emergency Assistance for Reconstruction of Flood-affected Water Supply and Sanitation System" project with Tk 343.91 crore; and "Reinstallation of the 2022 flood-affected Sylhet Chhatakbazar Section (metre gauge) of Bangladesh Railway" project with Tk 241.59 crore.

The four old projects are the "Construction of 34 Buffer Warehouse in the Country's Different Places to Preserve and Distribute Fertilizers (1st Revised)" project with an additional cost of Tk 365.43 crore (now the total cost has risen to Tk 2,348.47 crore; "Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) (2nd revised)" project with an additional cost of Tk 93.15 crore (now the cost is Tk 1,105.27 crore); "Development of Bangladesh Land Survey Education (1st revised)" project with an additional cost of Tk 61.43 crore (now the cost is Tk 340.28 crore); and "Construction of Bangladesh Chancery Complex in Islamabad of Pakistan (4th revised)" project with an additional cost of Tk 17.56 crore (now the cost is Tk 97.42 crore).