C T Online Desk: Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directives for building metro-rail in Chattogram city is a New Year gift for the port city people.
“Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina likes Chattogram a lot. She had announced for shouldering the responsibility of making progress in Chattogram,” he told BSS while expressing his reaction over the premier’s directives.
Hasan said: “The premier’s directive in today’s ECNEC meeting is a gift for Chattogram people in the New Year,” he said.”
Earlier, Planning Minister MA Mannan today said a metro rail project will be implemented in Chattogram too.
“The Prime Minister said that metro rail should not be limited to Dhaka only, and it should also be made available in Chattogram. Plan has been taken for metro rail from Chattogram airport to the railway station. We’ll expand it further in other major cities with airports and rail stations,” he said after an ECNEC meeting with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
In this regard, Hasan, also Awami League Joint General Secretary,
said the premier has approved many development projects for
water-logging mitigation, sewerage, construction of flyovers and other
infrastructural development and most of the projects have already been
implemented and others are being implemented.
The people of Chattogram have already started getting benefits of
the projects, he mentioned.
He said the premier has been making her all-out strides to build
Chattogram, the commercial capital of Bangladesh, as a modern and
developed city.
The information minister said the premier has put emphasis on
building sustainable infrastructures by all government bodies
concerned for turning Chattogram into a world standard city.
“Now, it is our Chattogram people’s duty to make the optimum
utilization of the honorable prime minister’s sincerity and
eagerness,” he said.
He said once the metro-rail and Chattogram City Corporation’s
project involving Taka 2,500 crore are implemented, traffic jam will
be lessened in Chattogram to a great extent.
The minister said a Taka 6,000 crore is underway for mitigating
water-logging crisis. When the project works will be completed, the
city dwellers will get rid of longstanding problem of water-logging,
he said.
He said once Chattogram WASA’s project involving Taka 4,000 crore is
implemented, it will make massive positive impact on waste disposal of
the city.
Hasan said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government didn’t only
make oral pledge for Chattogram like other previous governments
rather it has been as per its pledges to meet the demands of the
people.
“As a citizen of Chattogram, I am expressing gratitude to the
honorable prime minister. I think all people of this region
irrespective of opinion and party affiliation should extend thanks to
the premier,” he said.
Earlier, the information minister requested the premier few days
before ECNEC meeting of October 15, 2019 for introducing metro-rail in
Chattogram. Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League
General Secretary Obaidul Quader was also present on the occasion.
Hasan apprised of the premier that if initiative of building
metro-rail is not taken now for smooth journey, Chattogram people will
suffer in the coming days as the city’s population has crossed 65
lakh.
In view of the demand, Obaidul Quader who was present there also
expressed eagerness over introduction of metro-rail service in
Chattogram city.
In line with the proposal of the information minister and eagerness
of road transport and bridges minister, the premier had given
directives to begin feasibility study in 2019.
As per the directive of the premier, road transport and bridges
minister gave directives to secretary of the ministry and other
concerned officials to begin feasibility study of metro-rail
immediately.
After the ECNEC meeting of 2019, Quader also confirmed journalists
about the feasibility study for introducing metro-rail in Chattogram.
About the CCC’s project involving Taka 2,500 cr, CCC mayor Rezaul
Karim Chowdhury’s private secretary Abul Hasem said the project will
make massive change in road management in Chattogram.
Under the project, 60 feet width on the road from cement crossing on
airport road to dockyard will be upgraded, 600 meter overpass, 38 foot
over-bridge, 22 culverts, 14 bridges, one overpass, 10 roundabouts
will be constructed and 769 kilometers road will be developed and
upgraded.
Once the project is implemented, Chattogram will turn into the
commercial capital in true sense of the term.
