Chittagong-Dhaka highway to be 4 lane

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday approved a TK 2,168 crore project that would get prominence to make Dhaka-Chittagong highway four lanes. The Dhaka-Chittagong highway project had earlier been included in the annual development programme for fiscal 2007-08, sources in the implementing authority, Roads and Highways here said. The ECNEC, meeting , chaired by chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed at the NEC conference centre in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar has also approved 10 other projects. The widening the highway from two lanes to four began in January 2006, and the road from Dhaka to Daudkandi of Comilla now has four lanes. The basic objective of the project is aimed at developing a better and speedy transportation system for containerized cargoes from Chittagong port to Dhaka inland container depot (ICD) through road links. The four lanes road communications development will also help bolstering of trade and commerce between Bangladesh and neighbouring countries of Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, Thailand and seven sisters of northern states of India. A recent statistics revealed that rail is covering nearly 15% transport along the corridor including container and bulk cargoes moreover, BR's most profitable freight segment is containers which is adding about 22% to BR's freight revenue .The rest 75% containerized goods are transported to Dhaka from Chittagong by truck or covered van, which is, exposed to higher probability of pilferage and damages on transit. The adequate transportation of goods is not possible in Dhaka-Chittagong rail route in absence of improved rail line , necessary locomotives and wagons. The government took up the project in an effort to reduce increasing road accidents, to ease growing traffic congestion and to ensure smooth travelling. The project was also meant to boost the country's economy through setting up an effective transport system between Dhaka and Chittagong. After the meeting, finance adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam told journalists that it would reduce road accidents and ease transport of products to different areas of the country from Chittagong.The ECNEC also approved projects to rebuild the Gouripur-Jaria-Jhangail and Shyamganj-Mohanganj sections of Bangladesh Railway at a cost of Tk 152 crore, develop a link road from the coastal embankment to Chittagong city at Tk 96 crore, develop Khulna city infrastructure and a water supply system at Tk 50 crore, protect Chapainawabganj and Shibganj Upazila from river erosion at Tk 143 crore and develop the Barind irrigation area at Tk 162 crore.

Staff Correspondent
The Daily People's view