Chattogram Bureau :
Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said the country’s first tunnel will improve the national economy as well as communication in the port city and to attract investment.
The multi-lane dream tunnel to be constructed beneath the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram is expected to give a boost to the national economy helping the country fetch a high volume of investment. CDA is implementing a project, ‘Coastal Road Construction and Embankment Streng- thening Project’, also known as Chattogram Outer Ring Road Project, costing Tk 1700 crore, which will work as an approach road to the tunne. On June 9 last year, Bangladesh and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on construction of a tunnel under the Karnaphuli River.
The Karnaphuli Tunnel Project long cherished by the people of the port city is expected to change Chattogram by linking the south and the north part of the district through the tunnel connecting both banks of the River Karnaphuli.
After completion of one of the biggest projects in Bangladesh, Chattogram City will get two towns on both banks of the river.
The project will strengthen the country’s economy as Chattogram Port, the main port of Bangladesh, will be safe from siltation of the river.
Sources said the project is likely to be completed within 2022.
The construction work of the project is going on in full swing now and around 34 per cent of the work has been completed, they said.
According to Project Director (PD) Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, installation of consultancy firm’s office, power substation, site camp, construction yard, land acquisition and sand filling is fully going on.
Construction of necessary infrastructures, including residences for Chinese engineers and other employees of the project has already been completed.
Meanwhile, tunnel boring machine to be used for excavation has recently been imported from China. Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and PublicWorks Ministry Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, MP, said, “After completing the (on-going) development projects in Chattogram, including the Karnaphuli Tunnel, the picture of Chattogram will be changed.” The north and south portion of Chattogram will be connected.
The foreign investors can invest at the north and south portion of Chattogram as the connectivity and communication will be most modern through the Karnaphuli Tunnel and ring road,” he added.
President of Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Mahbubul Alam said: “Karnaphuli Tunnel is a dream project of our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina which will open the door of investment and trades in Chattogram.”
After completing the Karnaphuli Tunnel many industries will be built up on the other side of river Karnaphuli which may gear up the economic activities of the country,” said the CCCI president.
