Ecnec okays Tk2,204cr project to take Teletalk coverage to villages

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved a Tk2,204 crore project for state-owned Teletalk to expand its mobile network coverage to villages and for modernisation of the company's operations to launch fifth-generation technology, or 5G.

The authorities said the project would ensure affordable telecommunication services for all, help spread high-speed internet coverage, and make key online services such as telemedicine and tele-classes more accessible.   

The government will fund most of the project cost while Teletalk will chip in only Tk60 crore. The project has been estimated to be completed within 2023. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined the Ecnec meeting virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence and other members attended it from the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar NEC conference room. 

Planning Minister MA Mannan, and State Minister of Planning, Dr Shamsul Alam, briefed  journalists upon coming out of the meeting.

"The importance of Teletalk is enormous for welfare activities though the company is a loss-making venture. We must keep it afloat to manage the market," said the state minister.    

According to the development project proposal (DPP), the Teletalk project includes 3,000 new base transceiver stations (BTS), 500 mobile towers, and 2,500 tower sharing sites. The capacity of 2,000 sites under the existing 3G and 4G services would also be ramped up. 

Md Mamun-Al-Rashid, member of the Physical Infrastructure Division of the Planning Commission, said at the press brief, "Another Teletalk project is coming to provide 5G services in all areas of the capital. The project proposal has already arrived at the Planning Commission, and will be approved soon."

Nine other projects get Ecnec go-ahead     

The Ecnec meeting Tuesday approved a total of ten projects, including Teletalk, involving a cost of Tk7,985.51 crore.

Of the projects, a road development work at Keraniganj upazila was approved at Tk1,090 crore. Under the project, five roads will be widened in the upazila in connection with the Padma Bridge.

The roads are -- Dhaka Mawa road-Teghoria Shaper Bazar via Mollarhat, Zinzira-Konda via Mirerbagh Bazar-Beyara Bazar-Bongram-Zindapeer Mazar road, Ruhitpur GC-Balurtek-Dhaka Mawa road, Dhaka Mawa-Khejur Bagh road, and the Chunkutia auditorium- Paka Chita- Dighirpar-Abdullahpur Bishwa road via Goista road. 

The project will be implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) with a deadline of March 2026.

A project of Tk63 crore has been approved to collect and preserve audio-visual documents of the Liberation War from domestic and foreign sources, and to increase the capacity of the Bangladesh Film Archives.

About the project, the planning minister said many documents of the Liberation War could be in some countries in Europe, and the concerned authorities have been instructed to find and collect them.

Ecnec approved the construction of a 100 MW Madarganj Solar Power Plant in Jamalpur at a cost of Tk1,511 crore. Although Ecnec members proposed naming the solar park after Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister rejected it.

The Ecnec meeting also approved a risky bridge replacement project in Rangpur at a cost of Tk861 crore. Under the project, 50 old bridges and 16 culverts will be replaced by new ones.

The planning minister said the prime minister had instructed the concerned ministry to identify all old and risky bailey bridges across the country.

MA Mannan said further, that the government had decided to collect bridge tolls. The fees will be spent on road and bridge maintenance.

Other projects approved by the Ecnec include the rural livelihood project (Phase 3), Dudhkumar river management and development in Kurigram district, Development of the Bagerhat-Rampal-Mongla highway, integrated livestock development in coastal areas (revised), and road development in Keraniganj upazila of Dhaka district.