PM vows to build Dhaka as Smart City 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said her government would build Dhaka as a "Smart City" as she opened the Kalshi Flyover and a six-lane road from ECB square to Kalshi to the traffic at Mirpur.

"We will build Dhaka as a Smart City," she said while addressing a public rally at Kalshi Balur Math after opening the flyover and the road unveiling a plaque.

The prime minister said her government has taken plan keeping people's welfare in mind.

At the rally, she also announced to rename the Kalshi flyover after Harun Mollah due to his glorious contribution to the Liberation War and all the democratic and progressive movements of the country.

The main problem of Dhaka city is not to have better connectivity between its East and West, the premier said, adding her government has attached priority to the development of communication system in this part of the capital.

She said this 2.34km Kalshi flyover and 3.70km widened and developed six-lane road from the ECB square would ease the communication in Mirpur, DOHS, Pallabi, Kalshi, Mahakhali, Manikdi, Matikata, Bhashantek, Banani, Uttara and the Airport.

The traffic jam of Dhaka would decline significantly after opening the Kalshi Flyover and the six-lane road following the metro rail, she hoped. 

About measures taken for the development of Dhaka North City, Sheikh Hasina said as many as 23 projects involving TK 3,500 crore have been implemented in the last 12 years since Dhaka city was divided into two parts in 2011.

She said 16 projects worth over Tk 3,000 crore have also been implemented in Dhaka South City Corporation over the years.

She mentioned that under the projects, development of communication and infrastructures in the capital including its beautification, improvement of water supply management, construction and development of footpath and waste management alongside roads, bridges and flyovers were made.

At the function, the prime minister has announced to build Kalshi Balur Math as an amusement park with having playground for the children and youths and walkways for the movement of the aged persons.

Sheikh Hasina, also president of the AL, said her government would make the democracy strengthened and well-protected and thus build the fate of the people.

Referring to vote rigging by the BNP-Jamaat alliance in February 15, 1996 election, she said the people of the country dislodged them from the power within one and a half month.

"The people of the country never accepted those who came to power through vote rigging," she said.

The prime minister said the BNP-Jamaat clique wanted to manipulate election through vote rigging after incorporating 1.23 crore fake votes in 2006, but the people forced them to stop it through the movement.

After the rally, she took Kalshi flyover to reach her official Ganabhaban residence in city. 

The ECNEC on January 9, 2018 approved the project, under which, a 3.70km stretch of road from the ECB square to Kalshi was widened, while the 2.34km long Kalshi flyover was constructed at the Kalshi intersection under the Local Government Division of the Ministry of LGRD and Cooperatives.

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Bangladesh Army (24 Engineer Construction Brigade) implemented the project at a cost of around Tk 1,012 crore.

The construction work of the project started on January in 2018 and it was completed four months prior to the stipulated time in June, 2023.

According to the project details, the flyover looks like an English alphabet 'Y'. The previously four lane roads have been widened to six lanes to ease passenger commute.

The main four-lane flyover runs from ECB square towards Kalshi and Mirpur DOHS, while a two-lane ramp descends from Kalshi intersection to Kalshi Road.

The project also includes extension of a PC girder bridge, construction of two foot over-bridges, a public toilet, two police boxes, a 7.40 kilometre RCC drain and saucer drain, a 1,755 metre RCC pipe drain, retaining wall, 3383 meter communication duct, 8,00,000 linear meter sand compaction pile, separate bicycle lanes, and six bus bays.

At least two overhead footbridges with escalators have been constructed next to the flyover.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam, DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam, Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed and Dhaka-16 lawmaker Md Elias Uddin Mollah spoke at the rally.

State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharjee, and Local Government Division Secretary Muhammad Ibrahim, were present on the dais.

Commander of 24 Engineer Construction Brigade gave a brief presentation on the Kalshi Flyover and the six-lane road.

A video documentary on the Kalshi flyover and road project was also screened at the function.