Army to get another contract: Obaidul
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday told the parliament that another contract for the Dhaka-Mymensingh four-lane project would be given to Bangladesh Army next month to complete the long-delayed work by June.
Bangladesh Army's Special Works Organisation (West) has already been implementing the project's two packages, which is about 30-kilometre in length and covers from Joydebpur to Nayanpur, since 2012.
The third package which is being implemented by China Major Bridges Company in association with local firm Project Builder's Ltd (PBL) saw a delay in last few years, causing unexpected and unbearable sufferings to the people.
During a scheduled question-answer session in the parliament, Quader said it is true that implementation of a portion of the Joydevpur-Mymensingh four-lane project is slow.
"I will go and visit that part of the project and give the work to the army next month," he said.
The Joydevpur-Mymensingh four-lane road along with Mawa Flyover would be opened to traffic in June as per Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's commitment, he added.
Replying to a query over the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane project, the minister said the overall works of the project would hopefully be completed by December. "From June 2015, I hope people will be able to go to Chittagong from Dhaka in four and a half hours," he added.
As an initiative to ease traffic jam in the capital, the minister said they have a plan to construct another flyover.
According to a survey, primary initiatives have been taken to construct a 140-metre underpass from Mohakhali Flyover to the Prime Minister's Office and a flyover about half kilometre in length.
Moreover, a 47km expressway would be constructed by 2018 from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kutubkhali of Dhaka-Chittagong Highway.
There are also plans to construct an 80km elevated expressway from Hemayetpur of Savar to Madanpur on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway via Kadamtoli intersection, Nimtoli, Sirajdikhan and Madanganj. In order to get foreign funds for this project, PDPP has been formulated and sent to the planning ministry, said the minister.
He said tenders would be invited this month for the construction of metro rail which is expected to begin early 2016.
Quader said a total of 958 buses---275 from China, 255 from Korea and 428 from India---were bought in the last six years at the cost of around Tk 290 crore. Of the buses, 158 have remained nonfunctional, he added.
Replying to a lawmaker's query, he claimed that there was no national highway in a bad state right now in the country. He also claimed that his ministry has reduced corruption in BRTA by 50 percent.
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