Ecnec Rejects Tk1,268 Crore Haor Project Over Environmental Concerns

Ecnec Withholds Approval for Haor Project

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) in Bangladesh has withheld approval for the Tk1,268.80 crore 'Climate-Resilient Livelihood Enhancement Project' (CRLEP) during a meeting held on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. The decision, chaired by Chief Adviser and Ecnec Chairperson Dr. Muhammad Yunus, came after objections were raised regarding the project's environmental impact and its primary focus on infrastructure development rather than sustainable livelihood improvement in the ecologically sensitive Haor region.

Environmental Concerns Drive Rejection

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, voiced strong opposition to the project's structure. She highlighted that despite being presented as a climate-resilience initiative, the project's main emphasis was on 'brick-and-mortar' infrastructure, such as roads and buildings, which could severely damage the Haor ecosystem. Environmentalists have consistently warned that extensive road and building construction in Haor areas disrupts the natural flow of water during flood seasons, leading to damage to farmlands and adverse effects on fish breeding patterns. The Planning Commission's assessment also indicated that nearly two-thirds of the total expenditure was allocated for construction activities, deviating from the stated climate-resilience objectives.

Project Scope and Funding Details

The proposed CRLEP, estimated at Tk1,268.80 crore, was intended to be implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). The funding structure included:

• Tk305 crore from the Government of Bangladesh
• Tk854 crore as a loan from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
• Tk109.80 crore as a grant from Danida, Denmark's development agency

The project's original scope encompassed the construction of 334 kilometers of roads (141 km in haor areas and 193 km in the Barind region), development or rehabilitation of 58 rural markets, construction of 34 ghats, 72 cyclone shelters, 480 toilets, and 720 tube wells. It also included vocational training for 40,000 youths and entrepreneurship training for 20,000 individuals.

Directive for Revision and Resubmission

Ecnec's decision was not a cancellation but a directive for revision. The project has been returned to the Local Government Division with instructions to significantly reduce its infrastructure components and re-align it with the actual needs of the Haor region, focusing more on sustainable livelihood development and poverty reduction. Once restructured to enhance livelihood and vocational training components and minimize infrastructure dependency, the project may be resubmitted for approval. The meeting, where 13 other projects totaling Tk1,988 crore were approved, took place at the NEC Conference Room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka.