The Executive Committee of the National Economic (ECNEC) has approved a project on the Asian highway involving Tk 38.86 billion.
It approved the Land Acquisition and Utility Transfer Project: Support for the Improvement of Dhaka (Kachpur)-Sylhet- Tamabil Highway into four-lane and construction of separate service lanes in both sides.
The approval came from the 11th ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year held in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area on Tuesday (Oct 23) with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Under the project, land acquisition on both sides of the 270.557 kilometre highway will be completed side by side there will be transfer of necessary utilities to gradually upgrade this highway into four-lane and thus expand the regional road network, news agency BSS reports.
Once the project is implemented, dynamism will be infused to the trade and commerce activities in this region while this initiative will also expedite the extension process of the Asian highway network as well as regional road network including BIMSTEC corridor and SAARC corridor.
Tuesday’s ECNEC meeting also approved a project to procure some 35 dredgers involving Tk 44.89 billion to keep up navigability in 100 major rivers across the country.
Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said a total of 21 projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 197.79 billion.
“Of the total project cost, Tk 173.17 billion will come from the Government of Bangladesh portion, Tk 2.34 billion from the organization’s own fund while the rest of Tk 22. 28 billion from project assistance,” he said.
Of the approved 21 projects, 19 are new while the rest of two are revised projects.
The Planning Minister said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) under the Ministry of Shipping will implement the project by June 2023 while the government would provide the entire project fund from its own resources.
He said under the project, the dredgers would be procured along with ancillary equipment to dredge some 8,000 kilometres in 100 rivers across the country.
The dredging would keep ferries, lunches, cargo vessels and other river vessels functional on domestic river-routes round the year, BSS quoted the Minister.
According to the Ministry of Shipping, the BIWTA currently has 25 dredgers with an annual dredging capacity of 114 lakh cubic meter while 10 more dredgers are expected to join its fleet under an ongoing project.
With the additional dredgers, the BIWTA will be able to dredge 346.50 lakh cubic meters in 2019.
At least 1655.10 lakh cubic meter riverine routes are required to be dredged annually while the overall dredging capacity of the country is 846.50 lakh cubic meters mobilizing dredgers from the BIWTA and the private sector.
So, 808.60 lakh cubic meter riverine routes remain undredged despite the crucial need.
Besides, an initiative has been taken to open international river route in this region involving the domestic river routes and if the Bangladeshi river routes can be included in the international river transportation system, country’s trade and commerce would get a boost.
The project has been framed based on the findings of the ‘Feasibility Study on Capital Dredging and Sustainable River management in Bangladesh’.
Once the project is implemented, it will be possible to meet around 70.81 percent of the annual dredging capacity of the country.
The main project operations include procurement of two 28″ cutter suction dredgers and other necessary equipment, eight 24″ cutter suction dredgers and other necessary equipment, eight 20″ cutter suction dredgers and other necessary equipment, nine 18″ cutter suction dredgers and other necessary equipment, two 12″ cutter suction dredgers and other necessary equipment, two trailing suctions hoper dredgers along with other necessary equipment, two water injection jetting dredgers, two self propelled pontoon mounted grab dredgers, some 35 cutter suction dredgers crane boats, 30 crew houseboats and five officer house boats.
The project area will cover Dhaka, Narayanganj, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Madaripur, Barishal, Bagerhat, Gaibandha, Cox’s Bazar, Chandpur, Kishoreganj, Jamalpur and Sylhet districts.