Live Correspondent: "There is no need of Teletalk 5G project right now, rather it is necessary to ensure mobile phone's 4G service at everywhere in the country," said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

She was speaking at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held at NEC Conference Room on Tuesday (August 2) morning joining virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban in the capital.  

The meeting, chaired by Sheikh Hasina, also the charperson of ECNEC, approved 7 other development projects. It will require Tk 2,007.57 crore to implement those projects.

Teletalk wants to launch 5G technology in Dhaka metropolitan area commercially which will require an estimated Tk 236.54 crore. Almost 80 per cent of equipment of the project will have to procure from abroad spending dollar.

Posts and Telecommunication Division presented the project proposal for final approval at the ECNEC meeting. However, the prime minister turned down the proposal subsequently.

It is learnt that the prime minister turned down the Teletalk's proposal in the wake of acute shortage of foreign currency reserves in the country.

Following the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the Teletalk project was postponed as it would cost dollars from the country's foreign exchange reserves which is so much essential right now.

The minister said the project was not cancelled. It will be implemented later on.

The new project titled "Commercial Introduction of 5G Technology in the Teletalk Network in Dhaka Metropolitan area" involving Tk 236.54 crore was designed to be implemented by December 2023.

The main objectives of the project include introducing 5G technology commercially, raising interest among the people over 5G technology, and encouraging other mobile phone operators to introduce 5G services.

The largest project among four fresh ones approved in the meeting is "Land Acquisition, providing compensation to the victims and their rehabilitation in order to establish the divisional headquarters for Mymensigh Division Project" with the cost of Tk 1,224.81 crore.

Three other new projects are "Strengthening research activities of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA)" with the estimated cost of Tk 164.01 crore; "Procurement of Equipment and Machineries from Belarus for Selected Municipalities and City Corporations" with Tk 150.62 crore; and "Extension and Modernisation of Dhaka Central Drug Addiction Treatment Centre" with Tk 162.34 crore.

The three revised projects are Rehabilitation of 67A, 67, 67B and 68 polders along the Naf River in Ukhia and Teknaf Upazilas to improve the border security on Bangladesh-Myanmar Border (first revised) project" with additional cost of Tk 227.02 crore (Now the cost raised to Tk 368.67 crore); Uttara Lake Development (1st revised) Project with additional cost of Tk 53.41 crore (now cost is Tk 90.74); and Jail Training Centre, Rajshahi (1st revised) project with additional cost of Tk 25.36 crore (now cost is Tk 98.78.crore).

Dhaka, 02 August(campuslive24.com)//BIT