The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved a project, Ashrayan-3, involving Tk 2,312.15 crore for giving temporarily shelter to Rohingyas who crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar.
The approval came at a meeting of the ECNEC held at the NEC conference room today with its Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, reports BSS.
Bangladesh navy will implement the project at Bhasan Char of Char Ishwar union in Noakhali's Hatia where one lakh Rohingyas will be accommodated and after their repatriation, the project will be used to accommodate the poor of Bangladesh, said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal after the meeting.
He said the ECNEC decided that this fast-track project will be implemented from December, 2017 to December, 2019.
A total of 14 projects were approved in today's ECNEC meeting with an estimated cost of Tk 10,099.16 crore, said the minister.
"Of the total project cost, Tk 10,048.28 crore will come from the national exchequer and Tk 50.88 crore from the own fund of organizations concerned," the minister told reporters.
Kamal said Bangladesh-Myanmar has already signed an agreement and repatriation of Rohingyas will begin in the next two or three months.
"Rohingyas are in a distressed condition and the government has started taking steps for mitigating their sufferings and I am hopeful that other countries come forward with assistance," said the planning minister.
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered to repair all roads affected in the floods within the next one year. All old roads will have to be repaired now instead of constructing new roads, Kamal added.
While focusing on Ashrayan-3, he said the project will be implemented with government's own fund and necessary infrastructure will be constructed to ensure the security of the project area.
The project includes land development, shore protection work, construction of embankment, construction of 1,440 barrack houses and 120 shelter stations in 120 cluster villages for accommodating 1,03,200 people, construction of a place of worship, construction of infrastructure for water supply and sewerage.
Offices and residence houses will be constructed for Bangladesh navy to maintaining security of the area.
There will also be helipad, boat landing site, mobile towers, radar station, CCTVs, solar panels and power sub-station.
Other approved projects are development of power distribution system in Mymensingh (Tk 1,575.47 crore), development of rural infrastructures for Madaripur, Sariatpur and Rajbari districts (Tk 1,560.15 crore), development of important rural infrastructure (2nd phase) (Tk 950 crore), development of important rural infrastructure for Sirajganj district (Tk 446.20 crore), Development of small irrigation systems in Noakhali, Feni and Laxmipur (Tk 143.71 crore), construction of multistory residential flats in Azimpur government colony for government officials-employees (Tk 990.23 crore), construction of 288 residential flats in Jigatala for government officials-employees (Tk 303.84 crore), Construction of multistory residential buildings in Motijheel government colony (Tk 257.22 crore), construction of railway overpass at Shasangachha in Comilla town (Tk 94.06 crore), development of Langarpara-Shreebordi road in Sherpur (Tk 82.34 crore), stipend project for higher secondary education (797.75 crore) and construction of Chittagong Muslim Institute Cultural Complex (Tk 232.52 crore).