Medical college to be built on Chandpur wetland

The Ecnec yesterday approved a project to construct a medical college, hospital and nursing college partially on a wetland in Chandpur despite Planning Commission's observation that the project cost may rise because of the nature of the chosen site.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the Tk 1,370 crore project to build the facilities near the Dakatia river.

As per project documents, the hospital will cover some 2.6 million people of Chandpur and surrounding districts, while the medical college and nursing college will produce 50 doctors and 100 nurses a year.

As per project documents, the structures on 30.12 acres of land are expected to serve around 2.6 million people and annually produce 50 doctors and 100 nurses.

According to minutes of the Ecnec meeting, construction work on the 30.12acre site will begin this year and end in July 2026.

A team from the Planning Commission visited the site in June, and identified 14.28 acres of the proposed site as wetland which remains flooded during monsoon.

The team observed that the wetland has to be raised by 12 feet with sand to prepare it for the construction work. Besides, a required river protection measure will make the project costly.

The commission suggested that the wetland be excluded from the project, documents show.

Planning Commission member Nasima Begum told reporters that the prime minister approved 30 acres of land for the project.

Ecnec approved a total of 17 projects worth Tk 12,951 crore in yesterday's meeting.

The revised Kalia Bridge project over the Navaganga river is one of them. The prime minister earlier expressed dissatisfaction about the faulty design. Design errors have already cost the project Tk 70 crore.

The project taken in 2017 with a cost of Tk 75 crore has been extended by two years with its cost reaching Tk 135 crore.

Planning Minister M A Mannan directed the executing agencies to make designs properly so that revisions are not required during implementation.

Referring to the Kalia Bridge design error, the minister said, "Due to its low height, vessels can't pass through.  We have spent public money on consultancy, feasibility study and design. Now it is found that the design is faulty, and the prime minister expressed her disappointment."

The Ecnec meeting also okayed a Tk 1,133 crore project to purchase 340 buses and equipment from South Korea and a Tk 1,858 crore project to build Chattogram Medical University in Sitakunda.