The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC)  approved on Tuesday a project for upgrading Sylhet-Tamabil highway into four-lane, including a separate SMVT, involving an estimated cost of Taka 3,586.04 crore to boost Bangladesh’s trade and commerce, export and import by establishing sub-regional road connectivity with India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and China.

The approval came from a meeting of the ECNEC held with its Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. The premier presided over the meeting virtually form her official Ganabhaban residence while concerned ministers, state ministers and secretaries joined the meeting from the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that a total of six projects were approved on Tuesday involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 6,628.99 crore. “Of the total project cost, Taka 2,071.10 crore will come from the government of Bangladesh while Taka 4,593.89 crore as loan assistance,”

Of the approved six projects, two are new while four are revised projects.

The planning minister said that the Department of Roads and Highways will implement the Sylhet-Tamabil Highway Upgradation project by June 2025 to be implemented at Sylhet Sadar, Dakshin Surma, Jyointapur and Gowainghat upazilas.

“This highway upgradation project will establish cross-border connectivity, ease communication with the land port, economic zone and export processing zone as well as promote tourism,” he said, adding that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will extend Taka 2,970.55 crore as loan assistance for the project.

The project will also pave the way for boosting Bangladesh’s export-import as well as trade and commerce with the South and East Asian countries, especially with India’s Asam and Tripura, Mannan said.

The planning minister also reiterated that the government has a plan to upgrade all the inter-district, and national highways into four-lane.

The main project operations include construction of 56.16 km road pavements, 55.43 lakh cubic meter land works, construction of 21 bridges with a length of 1,939.84 meters, construction of 49 culverts, 10 foot-over bridges, one toll plaza, one excess load control.