The government is planning to inaugurate at least eight large-scale projects on transport and communication development before the upcoming national election.
The Awami League-led government felt that partial or complete inauguration of these projects would showcase how they worked over the years to upgrade the country’s communication and transportation system.
The government has instructed the project authorities concerned to speed up the work of the projects and complete them before the Election Commission announces the election schedule in November.
The construction works of these projects have been continuing for years and even many of them see both time and cost overruns.
According to the authorities, Karnaphuli underwater tunnel, Dhaka elevated expressway, Metro line-6 (from Agargaon to Motijheel section) and Dhaka-Bhanga, Khulna-Mongla, Akhaura-Agartala and Chattogram-Cox's Bazar rail lines, and third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport are among the projects the government has targeted to inaugurate before November.
Bangabandhu tunnel nears completion
The construction work of the main tunnel under the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram has been completed and the authorities requested for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s schedule for inauguration. The prime minister is expected to inaugurate the project on October 28.
“We have completed hundred per cent work of the main tunnel and some electro-mechanical and finishing work are underway,” Project Director (PD) Md Harunur Rashid Chowdhury told The Business Post.
The overall physical work is now 98 per cent and the tunnel would be fully ready before September.
Earlier, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at a function said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to open the tunnel on October 28.
The tunnel will turn the port city into "one city with two towns". Its length is 3.40 kilometres with an approach road of 5.35 kilometres alongside a 740-metre bridge linking the main city, port and the western side of the river with its eastern side.
Once inaugurated, the tunnel will allow vehicles coming from all over the country, including Dhaka to Cox's Bazar, Bandarban and South Chattogram.
PM to open elevated expressway's Airport-Farmgate part in Sept
The country’s first elevated expressway in Dhaka will be launched in September this year. Of the three phases of work, physical work of around 98 per cent of the first section up to Banani and 58 per cent work from Banani to Moghbazar section have been completed. The visible work has started on the last part from Moghbazar to Kutubkhali.
At least 65 per cent of the total work of this project has been completed so far.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Airport-Farmgate section on September 2. The length of this section is about 12 kilometres and once it is operational, it will be possible to travel from the airport to Farmgate in just 10 minutes.
The total elevated expressway is being constructed starting from the south of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kawla-Kuril-Banani-Mohakhali-Tejgaon-Moghbazar-Kamalapur-Syedabad-Jatrabari-Dhaka-Chittagong highway (Kutubkhali).
Under the project, 27-km long 31 ramps are being constructed for getting on and off the road. The total length of the project, including ramps, is 46.73 km.
According to the Bangladesh Bridge Authority’s latest data on the project, the progress in the physical work of the Central Control Building (CCB) in Kuril area is 94.76 per cent.
Metro rail’s Agargaon-Motijheel section almost ready to roll
Passenger operation on Dhaka metro rail’s Agargaon-Motijheel section will start by the last week of October but it will touch Farmgate, Secretariat and Motijheel stations initially.
The remaining stations on this section will be opened gradually but it would take two more months. By January, trains will stop at all the stations from Uttara to Motijheel, Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) authorities have said.
The Agargaon-Motijheel section has seven stations, including Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh, TSC, Secretariat and Motijheel.
A. N. Siddique, Managing Director at DMTCL, said that the construction work up to Motijheel will be completed by mid-October and after a few days, trains will operate with passengers. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the section and the next day we will start formal operation,” he added.
Dhaka-Bhanga, Khulna-Mongla, Akhaura-Agartala lines await inauguration
The Dhaka-Bhanga section of the ongoing 169-km new rail line installation project from Dhaka to Jashore via Padma Bridge is almost complete. This section will allow trains to go to Bhanga from Dhaka initially through the bridge. Once completed, the full-length train line will connect southwest as well as India with Dhaka.
Project Director Afzal Hossain said that they have targeted to inaugurate the 82-kilometre Dhaka-Bhanga part in September by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This section will have seven new stations but three stations will be ready for now--Mawa, Padma (Janjira), and Shibchar--during the opening.
Railway Ministry sources said that they have recently held a meeting on the opening ceremony where an event management company has already been entrusted with the responsibility. If the premier gives her a schedule, they might arrange the programme in the third week of September.
On the other hand, the rail line to Jashore via Narail is expected to be completed by June 2024.
The broad-gauge Khulna-Mongla railway line will be opened in mid-September as well with seven new stations, while the Akhaura-Agartala line is expected to be inaugurated during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in September. Both the projects are being implemented with India’s line of credit.
Initially, freight trains will be operated on the line to boost trade with the neighbouring country.
Chattogram-Cox's Bazar rail hit by recent floods
The dual-gauge line from Chattogram to Cox's Bazar is one of the most attractive railway projects in recent times as it will connect the tourist destination with Dhaka. The project of a 102-km new rail line with nine new stations, including an iconic one, is being implemented in two parts--Dohazari to Chakaria and Chakaria to Cox's Bazar.
The project is supposed to be completed by September and the progress was satisfactory. Out of the nine stations, three-- Dohazari, Chakaria, and Cox's Bazar--are ready to be used and the rest will be completed by December.
But the project has suffered extensive damage due to waterlogging during recent flooding as stones in some places have been washed away. The authorities claimed that one kilometre line has been affected.
Dohazari-Ramu-Cox's Bazar Railway Project Director Mofizur Rahman said that rail track in Satkania near Bandarban has been mostly affected.
He was, however, hopeful that repair works could be done within a month and that they will not miss the deadline for opening the line by the prime minister in October as per the plan.
PM to open 3rd terminal at HSIA on Oct 7
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the operations of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on October 7.
“We have completed around 82 per cent construction work of the third terminal. The terminal will have the state-of-the-art amenities for passengers,” Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Air Vice-Marshal M Mafidur Rahman told a press conference recently.
He said the passengers would be able to use the entire terminal by the end of 2024. “Our target is to complete 90 per cent of the work before its inauguration. We hope that the work will be completed according to our plan.”
According to the CAAB, during the inauguration on October 7, 12 boarding bridges out of 26 will be under operation, reports BSS.
Once it would be fully operational, the new terminal, covering an area of 542,000 square metres, will be capable of serving more than 12 million passengers annually, it said.
Currently, 120-130 planes of 33 airlines can take off from and land at HSIA's Terminals 1 and 2.
Every day about 30,000 to 35,000 passengers use the two terminals. As such, Dhaka Airport serves around eight million passengers annually. It will be possible to serve an additional 12 million passengers when the third terminal is opened.
The new terminal will feature a parking apron capable of accommodating 37 aircraft. It will also have 26 boarding bridges. For arrivals, there will be a total of 59 counters, including five automated ones, to provide fast and better service to passengers.
