The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved 10 major development projects worth Tk 9,333.58 crore in its second meeting of the fiscal year. Total expenditure includes Tk 8,488.71 crore from government funds and Tk 936.38 crore from foreign loans and grants. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman chaired the session at the NEC conference room in Dhaka. Dohatec Director of e-PMIS Mr. Md Masudur Rahaman was also in attendance at the meeting alongside cabinet ministers, state ministers, and senior planning officials.
State Minister for Planning Md. Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki briefed reporters following the session. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman also unveiled the Five-Year Strategic Framework for Reform and Development prepared by the General Economics Division. This strategic framework targets economic recovery over the first two years and structural transition over the following three years to guide national development up to 2031.
Major sectoral allocations and infrastructure focus
Local government infrastructure accounts for the largest financial allocation in this approval round. Local Government Engineering Department receives Tk 4,963.67 crore to repair rural roads across all 64 districts. Construction teams will rehabilitate 5,223 kilometers of roads and 7,000 meters of small bridges and culverts. Initial testing of rubber-bitumen technology will cover 100 kilometers of roads during the first year. Broader application in subsequent years depends on performance results from initial trials.
Healthcare initiatives receive substantial allocations for infrastructure replacement and expansion. Rebuilding unusable structures at Dhaka Medical College receives Tk 1,154.83 crore for implementation between September 2026 and August 2030. Construction of 19 student hostels across 10 medical colleges receives a revised additional allocation of Tk 201.70 crore.
Defence infrastructure receives Tk 1,311.53 crore for development work at Ramu Cantonment. Project guidelines instruct contractors to preserve natural hilly terrain without leveling the land.
Water resource management projects focus on river bank erosion and coastal protection. Dharla River erosion protection in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila receives Tk 298.65 crore. Coastal embankment strengthening in Sitakunda receives Tk 558.83 crore.
Power sector projects support renewable energy targets and urban electrical grid capacity. Madarganj 100 MW solar power plant in Jamalpur receives Tk 101.82 crore under a revised budget. Expansion of electrical infrastructure under Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO) receives Tk 627.23 crore.
Smart maintenance and administrative reforms
Bridge monitoring technology introduces advanced structural diagnostics to national road networks. Roads and Highways Department receives Tk 115.73 crore for smart bridge maintenance technology, including Tk 107.97 crore in foreign grants and project loans supported by KOICA. Sensors on four selected bridges will track structural changes and transmit dynamic data to a central office. Preemptive detection replaces reactive maintenance practices across major bridge assets.
Government planning bodies are implementing major procedural reforms to eliminate project duplication. Planning Commission officials are grouping similar initiatives across 41 ministries into program-based clusters. Centralized oversight operates through a digital project monitoring dashboard shared by the Prime Minister’s Office, Finance Ministry, and Planning Ministry.
Dohatec and e-PMIS integration
Attendance of Dohatec Director of e-PMIS Mr. Md Masudur Rahaman highlights Dohatec’s ongoing technical partnership with the Planning Commission. Dohatec operates the electronic project management information system (e-PMIS) that tracks government development projects nationwide.
Newly approved ECNEC projects enter the e-PMIS database to track implementation schedules, procurement milestones, and financial disbursements. Surface-level tracking within e-PMIS feeds real-time data into the central monitoring dashboard, supporting planning officials as Bangladesh transitions toward cluster-based project management.