<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked all concerned to take necessary preparations in advance to face probable floods in the country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She made the directive chairing the 1st meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) in the new fiscal year 2024-2025 (FY25) at the NEC Conference Room in the city.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“She said floods may hit (the country). We’ve to be prepared so that we can take quick measures if floods affect (the country),” said Planning Minister Abdus Salam at a press briefing after the meeting.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The minister said the prime minister, based on the forecast of Bangladesh Meteorological Department and the experts concerned, apprehended that a possible flood may sweep over the country in the coming days possibly in August.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Replying to a question over the directive, Planning Secretary Satyajit Karmakar said the PM had said that there is a possibility of floods in August due to a growing trend of rainfall in the country and rise of water upstream of major rivers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said the PM directed all concerned including the civil administration and field administration to take necessary preparations to face the floods in a bid to protect the people of the country from the impacts and devastation of floods.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Talking about the projects, the senior secretary of Planning Division said the Ecnec approved a total of 11 projects involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 5,459.87 crore.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of the total cost, Tk 5,214.34 crore will come from the national exchequer, Tk 140.44 crore from external sources as project assistance and&nbsp; the rest Tk 105.09 crore from the fund of an organisation concerned, he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 11 projects include seven fresh schemes and four revised ones, said the secretary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>