Dhaka, Oct. 31 -- The cost of the Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) project, designed to boost Bangladesh's export diversification and employment generation, has ballooned by nearly Tk 159 crore due to prolonged delays in implementation and rising foreign exchange costs.

According to official documents submitted to the Planning Commission, the total estimated cost of the project-implemented by the Ministry of Commerce with World Bank financing-has now been proposed at Tk 1,264.17 crore under its third revision.

Of the total, Tk 1,092.05 crore will come as a project loan from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) while the government's contribution remains unchanged at Tk 172.12 crore.

Bangladesh's banking cr...