Construction to begin by December: Quader

Construction work of the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway is expected to start in December this year, for quick entry and exit of vehicles to and from the capital.

“Commercial agreement of the project has already been signed, and a loan deal will be signed soon. We hope that the construction work of main expressway will start within December this year,” Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said yesterday.

He was talking to reporters after attending a contract signing ceremony regarding the project at Setu Bhaban in the capital.

The 24-kilometre expressway will connect Hazrat Shahjahal International Airport to Abdullahpur, Ashulia, DEPZ and Chandra on Dhaka-Tangail Highway. It will be an extension of the 20km Dhaka Elevated Expressway, linking airport to the Dhaka-Chattogram highway near Shanir Akhra.

Once the expressway is completed, it will help ease traffic congestion and allow trucks to move across the capital throughout the day. Trucks are now barred from entering the city from 8am to 8pm to avoid tailbacks.

In October 2017, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) gave the go-ahead to the Tk 16,901 crore project, 65 percent of which will be financed by China.

According to the Bridges Division, a deal has already been signed with China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation -- which was nominated by the Chinese government, and the process to sign loan agreement with China Exim Bank is now at final stage.

Yesterday, Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) signed a contract with a joint venture company to design review and supervision of the construction of the project at the cost Tk 104.14 crore

The joint venture firm comprises of three companies: Tecnica Y Proyectos SA (TYPSA) of Spain, JV DOHWA of South Korea and DDC of Bangladesh.

Quazi Muhammad Ferdous, chief engineer of BBA, and Antonio Rodriguez Castellanos, managing director of TYPSA, signed the contract.

‘OPPOSITION SPREADING RUMOURS SURROUNDING PADMA BRIDGE’

Obaidul Quader also said action would be taken against those who are spreading rumours about the need of human sacrifice for the Padma Bridge project.

He indirectly linked the opposition with the rumour. “The opposition has failed in election and in movement. Now, rumour is their capital,” he said.

He said a bizarre propaganda is being spread on social media that human sacrifices are required for Padma Bridge. Bridges Division has already talked to different intelligence agencies and Rab, to find out who are spreading the rumour, he added.

The prime minister also asked authorities concerned to take action against them, he said, adding that one person was arrested in this regard. He, however, said they are yet to assert the arrestee’s political affiliation.  

Senior Secretary to Bridges Division Khandker Anwarul Islam, Dhaka-Ashulia Flyover’s project director Shahabuddin Khan and Padma Bridge project director Shafiqul Islam were present.