The government took up a Tk 468 crore project to strengthen Bangladesh Coast Guard to increase security in the coastal areas of the country and combat human trafficking.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in a meeting yesterday approved eight projects, including that for the coast guards, involving Tk 1,591 crore.

Under the project "Enhancing operation capability of Bangladesh Coast Guard", the coast guards would be given three in-shore patrol vessels, six high-speed boats, and a floating crane.

After the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told reporters that recently media reports have been showing that human trafficking has increased, so the government has taken an initiative to make the coast guards stronger.

Kamal said the government is going to take up some more projects to strengthen the coast guards even more. 

The project will commence from August 2015 and will be completed in 2018.