Former Dhaka central jail to be turned into museum, park
Ecnec approves 18 projects involving Tk 17,787cr
The government is going to set up a museum, an amusement park and a mall on around 22 acres of land of the former central jail on Nazimuddin road in Old Dhaka.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved a Tk 607-crore project titled “Preservation of history and historic building of Old Dhaka Central Jail and development of surroundings” at a meeting at the NEC auditorium of the planning ministry.
In 2016, the over 200-year-old jail was shifted to Keraniganj.
“Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was detained in this jail on several occasions. The prison cell to which he was confined will be preserved. The cell where our four national leaders were killed will also be preserved,” said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal at the meeting.
Besides, a park and amusement centre, a playground and a shopping mall will be set up there, he added. According to the proposal, the project will be completed by 2020.
Yesterday, Ecnec approved a total of 18 projects involving Tk 17,787 crore.
The other projects include Rural Transport Improvement Project-2 at a cost of Tk 4,819 crore, of which World Bank will finance Tk 3,034 crore; completion of a girder bridge on Lohalia river in Patuakhali at Tk 102 crore; Arial Kha river bank preservation and dredging in Faridpur; agricultural development in Noakhali, Feni, Laxmipur, Chittagong and Chandpur at Tk 69.43 crore; development of electricity distribution in Chittagong at Tk 1,421 crore; and expansion of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) in five districts at Tk 51.45 crore.
Besides, Tk 480 crore for development of Pabna University of Science and Technology; Tk 1,136 crore (including ADB financing of Tk 896 crore) for Urban Primary Healthcare Services Delivery Project (second phase); Tk 612 crore for developing infrastructure of eight municipalities in Jamalpur; Tk 347 crore for Pachuria-Faridpur-Bhanga railway rehabilitation and construction; Tk 332 crore for Jamalpur-Dhanua-Kamalpur-Roumari-Dantbhanga road development; Tk 920 crore for rural infrastructure development in Barisal; and Tk 442 crore for preserving the killing grounds and building memorial mausoleums were also approved.