Home ›› 11 Aug 2021 ›› Front
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on Tuesday approved 10 projects worth Tk 7,985.51 crore, including expanding Teletalk’s mobile phone networks to provide 5G services.
The approval came from a meeting of the ECNEC held at the National Economic Council conference room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with its chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
“Of the total project cost, Taka 6,660.29 crore will come from the government of Bangladesh, Taka 137.09 crore from the concerned organisation’s own fund and the rest Taka 1,188.13 crore as project assistance,” Planning Minister MA Mannan told reporters after the meeting.
Of the approved projects, nine are new while one is a revised project, he added.
Among others, the ECNEC approved a Tk 2,204.39 crore project to expand Teletalk mobile phone network at village level and also to modernise the existing network to provide 5G services.
In this regard, the minister said, out of funds worth Tk 2,204.39 crore, Tk 2,144.06 crore will come from the state coffer while Tk 60.33 crore from Teletalk. The project will be implemented by November 2023.
The main project objectives include improving the quality of the existing Teletalk network to provide modern 4G services to the rural people and modernising the existing networks of Teletalk for providing 5G technology-based services.
The project has been incorporated as an unapproved and non-allocated new project into the Annual Development Programme for FY 2021-22.
Under the project, 3,000 new Base Transceiver Stations will be built along with other 500 sites for Teletalk. Two and a half thousand tower-sharing sites will also be installed.
The existing 3G and 4G mobile BTS site equipment will be upgraded to improve the capacity of the customer service. Existing 200 mobile BTS will be upgraded, while 4G BTS will be added to the existing 1000 2G / 3G BTS, according to the project proposal.
Other activities include installation of 5,000 FWA devices to provide internet services to government offices, hospitals and educational institutions through installation of fixed wireless access technology and IP long-haul while short-haul microwave links will also be set up.
State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said, “Only Teletalk network has been reached to the Chattogram Hill Tracts. Besides, the Planning Commission has already received a proposal to provide 5G services in the selected areas of Dhaka.”
Besides, the ECNEC also approved the Solar Park project with a cost of Tk 1,511.79 crore in order to construct a 100MW solar power plant in
Jamalpur. Rubal Power Company Limited will implement the project by December 2023.
In this regard, Mannan said, “The ECNEC had proposed to name this plant after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as it would be the largest and iconic solar power plant but the premier did not give her consent at the meeting.”
The other ECNEC approved projects are- Replacement of the existing bailey and other risky bridges at dilapidated, narrow and important points (Rangpur Zone) with a cost of Tk 861.39 crore, upgrading Bagerhat-Rampal-Mongla district highway with a cost of Tk 467.76 crore, enhancement the capacity of Bangladesh Film Archives and collection, conservation of audio-visuals of the War of Liberation from local and foreign sources with a cost of Tk 62.68 crore, developing important roads under Keraniganj upazila in Dhaka with Tk 1,090 crore,
Dudhkumar River management and development in Kurigram project worth Tk 692.68 crore.
Char Development and Settlement Project 4 with a cost of Tk 106.85 crore, Palli Jibikayon Project, 3rd phase with a cost of Tk 928.88 crore and Integrated livestock development at coastal char areas, 1st revised, with cost of Tk 59.09 crore.
