PM for speedily repairing damaged embankments due to ‘Remal’

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked the
authorities concerned to speedily repair the damaged embankments in the
coastal areas due to the recent tropical cyclone “Remal” that lashed the
country.

The Premier gave the directive while chairing the 10th meeting of the
Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held today at
the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister Major General (Retd)
Abdus Salam said the Prime Minister in the meeting asked the authorities
concerned to speedily repair the damaged embankments in the coastal areas
owing to the impact of the cyclone “Remal”.

State Minister for Planning Md Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Planning Division Senior
Secretary Satyajit Karmakar, Planning Commission members and secretaries
concerned were present at the briefing.

“The damaged embankments must be repaired speedily as monsoon is
approaching,” Salam said quoting the Premier.

He informed that the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also directed for ensuring
safe water in the affected areas so that water-borne diseases could not
spread.

Abdus Salam said the premier herself monitored the cyclone situation
throughout that night and gave necessary directives to the concerned agencies
for tackling the situation.

He said the state minister for Disaster Management and Relief informed the
ECNEC meeting that the loss of lives was less in the cyclone since all the
government agencies, district and upazila administrations were cautious
enough to face the situation.

Planning Division Senior Secretary Satyajit Karmakar said the day’s ECNEC
meeting approved a total of 11 projects involving an overall estimated cost
of Taka 14,337.38 crore. “Of the total project cost, Taka 6,541.52 crore will
come from the government of Bangladesh portion, Taka 7,879.15 crore from the
development partners while Taka 83.29 crore from the concerned organisation’s
own fund,” he added.

Of the approved 11 projects, eight are new while three are revised projects.

Turning to the cyclone “Remal”, Satyajit said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
monitored the cyclone situation intensively all throughout and thus gave
necessary directives to the field-level officials at district and upazila
level to deal with the situation in a coordinated manner.

The Prime Minister reminded of all the concerned officials and stakeholders
to keep operative the land phones alongside the mobile phone networks in such
calamities, he added.

Sheikh Hasina also directed the government officials irrespective of their
portfolios to stand beside the affected people of the tropical cyclole
“Remal”.

The Premier also asked the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief to
assess the loss of lives and properties in the cyclone “Remal” (verifying
media reports if needed) and thus publish its brief by next Sunday.

Satyajit said the ECNEC meeting today approved two separate cluster projects
for the benefits of the forcibly displayed Rohingya people and the host
communities in the Chattogram Division.

These two projects are–Host and Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals
(FDMN)/Displaced Rohingya Population (DRP) Enhancement of Lives Through a
Multi-Sectoral Approach Project (HELP): Infrastructure Related Project with
Taka 4,081.84 crore where the World Bank would provide Taka 2,329.89 crore as
loan and Taka 1,485 crore as grant.

The another project is Inclusive Services and Opportunities (ISO) for Host
Communities and FDMN Populations Project with Taka 4,401.13 crore where the
World Bank will provide Taka 2,145.38 crore as loan and Taka 1,759.37 crore
as grant.

For the first time, these aforesaid two projects were approved by the Prime
Minister through Project Planning System (PPS) software which would
eventually infuse more dynamism into the operations of the Planning
Commission as well as make those time-bound, Satyajit continued.

He said the premier asked all concerned officials involved in the execution
of these two projects to think ‘out of the box’ and exercise their
innovations to successfully implement those through facing possible
challenges and obstacles.

The Planning Division Senior Secretary further said that the World Bank would
provide the grant amount for the Rohingya people while the loan amount would
be spent in the areas of health, education, roads, forestry, railways for the
benefits of the host community since they are also affected for the forcibly
displaced Rohingya people.

He said at the very beginning of the negotiations with the World Bank for
availing support, the lending agency only pressed for lending support to the
Rohingyas, not for the host community. But, due to the strong stance of the
government, the World Bank later agreed to support the host community also
alongside the Rohingyas.

Satyajit also informed that the World Bank loan would be very soft.

He informed that a central coordination unit would be there at the Economic
Relations Division (ERD) for these two projects for Rohingyas and the host
community while a committee headed by Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary
would oversee the operations.

When asked whether the fresh Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the next
fiscal year (FY25) is loan-based, Satyajit said neither the country’s
economy, nor the fresh ADP is loan-based.

He said despite various challenges and adversities, the budget deficit of the
country never crossed five percent of GDP.

Replying to another question, the Planning Minister said Bangladesh has been
witnessing balanced development during the rule of Awami League government.

Since the present government put much emphasis on implementation, he said a
record number of 356 projects are going to be completed within this fiscal
year ending in June.

The other projects approved in the meeting are– Embankment protection work
to avert erosion in various areas of Karnaphuli River and its adjacent canals
under Boalkhali upazila in Chattogram district with Taka 134.09 crore,
Sustainable water management at Bashkhali and Anwara upazilas in South
Chattogram (first phase) with Taka 874.57 crore, Construction of modern steel
silo with capacity of 48,000 tonnes at Mohadebpur upazila in Naogaon district
with Taka 367.52 crore, Rural infrastructural development of Rajshahi, Natore
and Chapainawabganj districts with Taka 2,100 crore, Technical Assistance for
Repurposing Agricultural Public Support Towards a Sustainable Food System
Transformation in Bangladesh (TARAPS) with Taka 180.50 crore, Procurement of
35 commercial and eight ancillary vessels for BIWTC and construction of two
new slipways, second revised with an additional cost of Taka 518.96 crore,
Upgrading Cumilla-Lalmai-Chandpur-Lakshmipur-Begumganj (R-140) and Begumganj-
Sonaimuri-Ramganj regional highway into four-lane, second revised with an
additional cost of Taka 1,679.32 crore, Cox’s Bazar Airport Development
(first phase), fourth revised with an additional cost of Taka 129.69 crore,
Establishment of water treatment plant and deep tube well at Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujib Shilpi Nagar, second revised with an additional cost of Taka
129.14 crore. (BSS)