UNB, Chittagong :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping will jointly inaugurate the work on the tunnel
beneath the Karnaphuli River any day within October 10-13.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said this, revealing that the Chinese President will arrive here on October 10 on a three-day visit. “Many thought that the tunnel project will not be
implemented. But it is becoming a reality now,” he said while addressing a meeting at Chittagong Muslim Hall arranged by Chittagong South unit Awami League marking August 21.
The minister said, both the leaders of Bangladesh and China will inaugurate the foundation stone of the project.
The expenditure of the 4.2 kilometre long and 12 metre high tunnel, with an approach road of five kilometres, beneath the river has been estimated at $705.8 million. Earlier, Bangladesh and China signed the $705m deal to build the tunnel. Foreign Ministry and the Chinese side, however, are yet to reveal the date of Chinese President’s visit, saying both Bangladesh and China are now working to finalise a suitable date convenient to the two countries. If not changed, the visit will take place before the BRICS Summit which will be held in Goa, India on 15-16 October as the Chinese President is also scheduled to attend the Summit, foreign ministry sources said. An inter-ministerial meeting was held recently at the Foreign Ministry with Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque in the chair that discussed Jinping’s upcoming visit.
The Joint Economic Commission meeting between the two countries will be held here on Monday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping will jointly inaugurate the work on the tunnel
beneath the Karnaphuli River any day within October 10-13.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said this, revealing that the Chinese President will arrive here on October 10 on a three-day visit. “Many thought that the tunnel project will not be
implemented. But it is becoming a reality now,” he said while addressing a meeting at Chittagong Muslim Hall arranged by Chittagong South unit Awami League marking August 21.
The minister said, both the leaders of Bangladesh and China will inaugurate the foundation stone of the project.
The expenditure of the 4.2 kilometre long and 12 metre high tunnel, with an approach road of five kilometres, beneath the river has been estimated at $705.8 million. Earlier, Bangladesh and China signed the $705m deal to build the tunnel. Foreign Ministry and the Chinese side, however, are yet to reveal the date of Chinese President’s visit, saying both Bangladesh and China are now working to finalise a suitable date convenient to the two countries. If not changed, the visit will take place before the BRICS Summit which will be held in Goa, India on 15-16 October as the Chinese President is also scheduled to attend the Summit, foreign ministry sources said. An inter-ministerial meeting was held recently at the Foreign Ministry with Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque in the chair that discussed Jinping’s upcoming visit.
The Joint Economic Commission meeting between the two countries will be held here on Monday.
