The executive committee of Bangladesh’s National Economic Council (ECNEC) granted approval to a Tk 4,282.76-crore project aimed at modernizing and expanding facilities at Mongla Port in Bagerhat. The Mongla Port Authority, operating under the shipping ministry, is set to execute the project by June 2027, with a substantial Tk 3,782.36 crore loan secured from China through a government-to-government arrangement.
This project’s primary objectives encompass the establishment of modernized port infrastructure at Mongla, augmenting its capacity for handling containers, constructing a dedicated container terminal, and ensuring the safe handling of hazardous cargo.
The approval came following a committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and encompassed a total of 19 projects, consisting of 13 new initiatives and seven revised ones. Among the projects approved during the meeting were those focused on widening district highways in the Khulna Zone, emergency reconstruction of roads, bridges, and culverts that were damaged during last year’s floods in the Sunamganj and Habiganj road divisions, as well as land acquisition for the construction of a sewerage treatment plant in the Reyerbazar area, as reported by local news agency.
Furthermore, an empowerment project aimed at improving the lives of rural women in the country is set to be implemented through funding provided by the United Nations Development Program, the Swedish embassy, and Marico Ltd. The SWAPNO project aims to benefit 10,188 female beneficiaries by providing them with mobile phones, improving their skills, and creating new employment opportunities. The overarching goal of this initiative is to alleviate poverty among rural women in Bangladesh.
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