Venice-like project to be implemented at Turag basin

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) has plans to build a residential city like the one in Italy's Venice at the Turag river basin -- stretching between Amin Bazar and the flat flow zone area crossing Ashulia Road.

The development was revealed by Rajuk at a meeting of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and Public Works Ministry at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban today.

According to Rajuk, the area of this project will be almost equal to the Purbachal New Town Project, which is the biggest planned township in Bangladesh.

The project area consists of about 6,213 acres of land located between the Shitalakhya and Balu rivers -- at Rupganj of Narayanganj and Kaliganj of Gazipur.

According to Rajuk documents placed before the JS body, 70 percent of the project area will be filled with water and construction work will go on in the remaining 30 percent.

"It (this project) will be built similarly to Venice city in Italy. The prime minister has liked the design of the project," Rajuk Chairman Major General (Retd.) Siddiqur Rahman Sarker told the parliamentary watchdog.

He also said this project will be implemented under Public Private Partnership as a lot of money will be needed for it.

Meeting sources said the project will be implemented in line with the PM's instructions on protecting water bodies and agricultural land, in view of proper city planning.

In the initial layout plan, 70 percent of the area of this project will remain open space, forest land, water bodies, entertainment areas, and flood flow zones.

Rajuk also said they have taken another project to build a smart city in Keraniganj as part of decentralising, to reduce current population pressure, and to meet the housing demand of the growing population of Dhaka.

Keraniganj Water Front City Project is situated on around 5,000 acres of land in Basta union at Keraniganj upazila. The project is situated beside the Jhilmil project of Rajuk and Dhaka-Mawa highway.

China Road and Bridge Corporation has completed hydrological and environmental studies for this project, according to Rajuk sources.

Feasibility study of both projects is going on, said Rajuk.

Khondoker Mostafizur Rahman, chairman of National Housing Authority, told the meeting that they have completed feasibility study on relocating Bihari people, residing in Mohammadpur, to the city's Keraniganj.

"Work on the Development Project Proposal is going on at present," he also said.