Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram is getting ready for opening to traffic as its 98 percent construction works have been so far completed.   Project Director (PD) Md Harunur Rashid Chowdhury told said, “Now the workers are bustling to give  final touch   as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to the tunnel in September.”   He said workers and engineers concerned are working round the clock for opening the mega project to traffic  in  September.   “Already 98 percent of the tunnel work has been completed. The remaining two percent works will be completed soon. However, the project tenure will end on December 30,” he said.   The project director said there is no major work in the tunnel, while both tubes are ready, adding, “If everything goes well, then we can finish the work by August. However, the ministry will decide when it will be inaugurated.”   Earlier, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at a function said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will open the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel.   According to project details, the tunnel will actually turn Chattogram into "one city with two towns". It is being constructed beneath the Karnaphuli River and it is expected to be opened for vehicular movement in September this year.   The multilane tunnel will directly connect the Chattogram Port with Anwara upazila, which will directly connect Cox's Bazar with Chattogram.   The project details said, two tubes have been constructed within an 11-metre gap so that heavy vehicles can pass through the tunnel easily.   The length of the tunnel is 3.40 kilometres with an approach road of 5.35 kilometres alongside a 740-metre bridge linking the main city, port and the western side of the river with its eastern side.   As part of the project, bridges, totalling 740 metres in length have been built, linking the main port city and western side of Karnaphuli River with the heavily industrializing eastern side of the river and Anwara upazila.   Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the boring work of the first tunnel tube on February 24, 2019.   Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping jointly laid the foundation stone of the Bangabandhu Tunnel on October 14, 2016. China Communications Construction Company Ltd is working as the contractor of the project.   The tunnel will connect the proposed Asian Highway with Dhaka-Chattogram- Cox'sBazar Highway along with reducing the distance by 40 km. Vehicles in this tunnel will run at a speed of 80 km per hour.   Bangabandhu Tunnel is being built at a cost of Taka 10,374 crore. The tunnel project is being implemented with joint funding from the governments of Bangladesh and China. The Exim Bank of China is giving a loan of Taka 5,913 crore at two per cent interest while the Bangladesh government is funding the remaining portion.   Newly elected president of Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries and former president of Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industries Mahbubul Alam recently told BSS that once the tunnel is opened, it will be a game changer for the southeast region of Bangladesh, presenting a solution to connectivity issues to the rest of the country.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the solar plant with a capacity of more than 17 megawatts of electricity in Wangdue Phodrang was held on Thursday.  The plant is expected to be ready in a year and a half and will produce around 25 million units of energy in a year, Bhutan Live reported. The large-scale solar plant is being constructed on an area of more than 65 acres at Yongtru village in Sephu Gewog. According to Bhutan Live, the project will cost approximately USD 11 million, or more than 900 million ngultrum (Bhutanese currency).  The Asian Development Bank will fund it through grants and low-interest loans. Once in operation, the plant is not only expected to enhance domestic production but also reinforce climate change resilience. “Through the Sephu Solar Project, we are looking at how we can enhance the energy in the winter to meet our domestic demand.  Due to economic development, now demand has increased and we are importing from India. Importing from India not only comes at a high price and exorbitant tariff but also the long-term assurance is not there,” said Ugyen, project director of the Sephu Solar Project, Bhutan Live reported. “We need sufficient energy to ensure that the people have continuous power and do not face any problems.  After starting this solar project, we are expecting to generate about 500 megawatts of energy after three years,” said Loknath Sharma, Minister for Energy and Natural Resources. The project will be constructed through a joint venture between a local construction company and an Indian company.  The works are expected to finish by December of next year. And once complete, the Druk Green Power Corporation will take over the operation and maintenance responsibilities of the plant, Bhutan Live reported. “The power that is generated from this Sephu Solar will be directly fed into the grid. So, this is the first at the mega scale.  So, there will be no storage as such.  Energy generated from this plant would be directly fed into the grid. On average in a year, so from this Sephu Solar Plant will alone 25 million units of energy will be generated,” added the project director. The project also has plans to develop several basic infrastructures for the people. “Number one we are also at the community level blacktopping the farm roads through this project, we also have a plan for starting a milk processing unit through this project, and we also have a plan to set up public outreach clinic health.  And we also have a plan to provide fencings for the agricultural land through this project, and also we have watershed management of Sephu community, especially the drinking part,” further added the project director, Bhutan Live reported. The attempt to provide a dependable electricity supply and lessen dependency on imports includes the development of the facility. By 2025 and 2030, respectively, the government hopes to produce 500 and 1,000 megawatts of electricity from solar power facilities. 

A vital road that was embroiled in controversy in the last several years has finally brought smiles to many denizens of Pakke Kessang district in Arunachal Pradesh, with work on the 62-km stretch of the road from Itakhola in Assam to Pakke Kessang through Seijosa, going on in full swing. After completion of the road, people from Pakke-Kessang could reach Seijosa within one and a half hours, which was earlier completed in more than ten hours via the Seppa-Nechiphu-Bhalukpong road. The NEC approved the road project in 2013–14 with an estimated cost of Rs 166.16 crore. It was sanctioned in 2015–16. However, the project got delayed because of litigation, and the tender process could be completed in April 2017. Later, it got entangled in fresh litigation, which again delayed the project. The work finally began in October 2017, but at a snail’s pace. The progress of the road project got momentum after 2019 when Biyuram Wahge, the incumbent MLA from Pakke-Kessang, prioritized the work on the road in a challenging mode, and now it is progressing smoothly with approximately 30 per cent work yet to be completed. “The road is through now, though incomplete, and we can travel easily to Pakke-Kessang to meet our relatives at regular intervals,” said Johny Nabum of Mobuso-1 village. She, however, informed that during the monsoon, it is difficult to travel through the road as landslides hamper commuters along a portion of the road where construction activities are going on. The work on the road project was allotted to PRL-Gepung (JV) in April 2017 through national bidding. The road is almost complete from both Seijosa and Pakke-Kessang sides, except for a stretch of a few kilometres in between, where formation cutting, culvert construction, and bridge construction activities are going on, informed an official of the state PWD. Kama Nabum, a local from Jolly Village, is a happy man today. “It was a distant dream for us to travel through the road to meet my daughter and grandchildren at Pakke-Kessang earlier. However, with the progress of the road, now I could easily meet them even, twice a week,” Kama added. Pakke-Kessang gram panchayat member Hari Nabam informed that earlier there was a communication gap between the people of Pakke-Kessang and Seijosa as the NEC road was almost non-existent. However, the pace of construction activities gained momentum, and now there are no hindrances for the people of the two places to meet frequently. “The credit goes to Biyuram Wahge, the state BJP unit president, who took up the challenge, prioritized the road, and directed all concerned to complete the vital project as soon as possible. “The people of the district appreciate his developmental initiatives,” Hari added. The Pakke-Kessang district was carved out of East Kameng district in 2018 with five administrative units, namely Pakke-Kessang, Seijosa, Pijiriang, Passa Valley, and Dissingn Passo, with district headquarters at Lemmi. “Since Biyuram Wahge was elected MLA in 2017 for the first time in the by-election, the developmental activities in the constituency have received a major boost. The major achievements were the health centres at Seijosa and Pakke Kessang, the higher secondary school, and various village roads, to name a few, besides the progress of the NEC road,” Darlong gaon bura Budhiram Tai said. Tai added that the people of Seijosa witnessed several new projects like flood control measures, the upgrade of the health centre with state-of-the-art equipment, the higher secondary school, and several village roads. Seijosa gram panchayat member Sara Tana also praised the lawmaker for his efforts in initiating developmental activities in the constituency, which he said were never witnessed earlier. Another GPM, Doley Tayum of Goloso, also appreciated Wahge for undertaking various activities, including the vital NEC road, for the benefit of the people of the constituency and asserted that the MLA would definitely make a comeback in the 2024 assembly elections from the constituency. However, despite several attempts, the DC of the district could not be contacted for his comment. Source: sentinelassam.com

The Khuga Khel tribe in Landi Kotal has threatened to stop the construction of a Customs terminal at the Torkham border if their reservations over excess land acquisition were not addressed. Scores of tribesmen staged a demonstration at the Bacha Khan Chowk on Sunday and chanted slogans against the National Logistic Cell (NLC) for allegedly occupying their collective land in excess to the land acquisition agreement they had reached with the Federal Board of Revenue. Addressing the protesters, Khuga Khel elders Mufti Ejaz, Qari Nazeem Gul, Mirajuddin, Malak Lutfullah, Kalimullah, Haji Ilyas and others alleged that hundreds of kanals of land were unlawfully occupied by the NLC despite repeated protests. They said their tribe was not against the construction of the terminal but insisted on following a proper legal procedure for land acquisition and due compensation for the owners. They alleged that the NLC adopted a ‘divide and rule’ policy by talking to a group of so-called Khuga Khel elders to reach an agreement of their liking while ignoring the actual representatives and depriving them of their ownership rights. The NLC couldn’t befool them any more, the tribal elders said, adding they threatened to stop the construction if a positive response was not received from the authorities by March 16. They said the livelihood of hundreds of locals was attached to business activities at the Torkham border, but some of the government departments were depriving them of their legitimate earnings in the name of the new border policy. They alleged that thousands of local labourers and porters were rendered jobless with the implementation of a visa policy which they said was against legitimate easement rights of the local tribes living on both sides of the border. The terminal was conceived in 2003 but the construction couldn’t start till 2015 due to the security situation in the region. In recent years, the construction has led to a row over the acquisition of land, owned by Khuga Khel, a sub-tribe of Landi Kotal. On several instances in the past few years, the protesting tribesmen had forcibly stopped the construction work on the terminal. According to the tribesmen, they are the collective owners of the 300-kanal acquired for the terminal’s construction through a written agreement in June 2015. They claim that the NLC allegedly ‘grabbed’ more land without any prior intimation to the owners.In Jan 2022, a nine-member jirga was also constituted to resolve the dispute, following days of protest. Source: Dawn  

Rupsha Rail Bridge, part of the Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line Project being taken up under the Government of India Line of Credit (LOC) extended to the Government of Bangladesh, was completed on 25 June 2022.  The Rupsha Rail Bridge is a 5.13 kms broad-gauge single-track railway bridge constructed by Indian EPC Contractor M/s L&T  and has connected Khulna with the Mongla port city via a rail line.   The bridge has been constructed over the Rupsha tidal river, and this was a challenging engineering feat as it required specialized base grouting technology for piling work. 856 pile foundations were constructed on viaduct sections and 72 pile foundations were constructed for the steel bridge section with an average pile length of 72 m. The bridge also has additional features such as navigation fenders piles upstream and downstream of the pier, for ensuring navigation safety in the river. The navigational clearance for the main bridge is more than 18 m from Standard High-Water Level (SHWL). The construction materials for the steel bridge superstructure were imported from India using road, sea and inland rivers.   The Rupsha railway bridge and the Khulna-Mongla port rail line will greatly facilitate the to and fro transportation of goods and the enhanced connectivity and accessibility to Mongla Port will improve market access for local businesses including for agricultural produce of farmers in the region. It is also expected to positively impact tourism to prominent spots in the south-western part of Bangladesh.   Government of India has extended four LOCs to Government of Bangladesh worth USD 7.862 billion. 42 projects have been taken up under these LOCs so far, of which 14 projects have been completed and the rest are at various stages of implementation. Disbursements under these LOCs touched the milestone of USD 1 billion as on the closing of the Indian financial year in March 2022 and disbursements are set to touch USD 1155 million as on the close of the Bangladeshi financial year on 30 June 2022.  

The government expects to recover the Padma Bridge’s construction cost in next 35 years through a “well calculated” toll rate, officials said today. “The toll rate has been fixed in a calculated way so the construction cost of the country’s biggest bridge could be recovered in next 35 years,” an official of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) said. He said the bridge was constructed with domestic financing, discarding foreign loans or grant of any type while the finance ministry provided BBA an amount of Taka 30,000 crore as credit, which “we will have to repay with one per cent interest rate in 35 years”. “We will have to repay the loan with one per cent loan in 140 quarterly installments,” the official said adding that the toll rate was fixed also considering the issues of the VAT and tax, the bridge’s management and maintenance alongside the occasional river training. A BBA statement later substantiated his remarks saying an additional amount of Taka 340 crore would be repaid against the loan of Taka 211 crore taken during design framing of the mega-structure. It said the vehicle operators using the bridge would have to pay on an average 50 per cent more than the fare they used to pay for ferry transportation. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) earned Taka 5.60 crore in November 2020 from vehicles which it ferried between Mawa and Jajira route while the BBA took the figure as one of the baselines in fixing the Padma Bridge’s toll expecting to collect Taka 8.65 crore monthly. “But this is an initial estimation for now and the amount is not enough to realise the construction and subsequent maintenance costs in 35 years,” Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project’s director Md. Shafiqul Islam told BSS. He added that the vehicular movements would be enhanced and the toll rate would be re-fixed time to time as well in the coming years to realize the expected amount “as it happened in the case of Bangabandhu Bridge. BBA officials said Bangabandhu Bridge by now realized the construction cost ahead of the expected timeline. According to a Detailed Economic and Financial Analysis by a project consultant firm in 2010, the monthly toll collection will eventually stand at Taka 133.66 crore and annual at Taka 1603.97 crore in coming years. The 35-year loan repayment schedule under the agreement between the Finance Division and the BBA, Taka 596.88 crore will have to be paid in the first year of launching vehicular movements through the bridge, which would be increased up to Taka 1475 crore annually. The government has issued a gazette notification on May 17, 2022 fixing the toll rates for the Padma Bridge, which is scheduled to open for the traffic movements on June 25. According to the notification, the toll rate for a motorcycle is Taka 100, a car and a jeep Taka 750, a pickup van Taka 1,200, a microbus Taka 1,300, a small bus (31-seat) Taka 1400, a medium bus Taka 2000, a large bus (3-axel). Taka 1,600 has been fixed for a small truck (up to 5 tons), Taka 2,100 for a medium truck (5-8 tonnes) and Taka 2,800 for a truck weighing 8-11 tonnes, Taka 5,500 for a truck (up to Three-axel), Taka 6,000 for a trailer (four-axel). The notification also said that Taka 1,500 will be added to Taka 6,000 for each extra axel of a trailer over four-axel ones. Source: BSS AH

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Monday) said the decision of building the much awaited Padma Multipurpose Bridge, which is set to open for traffic on June 25 next, brightened the country's image in the world.   "The decision to construct the Padma Bridge by own finance has brightened the country's image in the globe and also accelerated the nation's confidence," she said.  The Prime Minister was addressing the Army Selection Board-2022 meeting at the Army Headquarters' Multipurpose Complex at Dhaka Cantonment.   The World Bank stopped financing to construct the bridge without holding board meeting with the connivance of a person bringing a false corruption allegation which was later proved baseless, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told newsmen quoting Sheikh Hasina as saying.   "We have to march ahead with self confidence maintaining the economic condition (Bangladesh has got recognition of a developing nation from a least developed one) that we have achieved," the premier said.   Referring to the army's various nation building and social activities, she said Bangladesh Army has always made contributions to the country's overall development that included building infrastructure.   The Prime Minister asked the army to gain the confidence and trust of the masses through their activities.   She said all including the armed forces, police and BGB have stood beside the people in their hardship during the Covid-19 pandemic.   About the government measures regarding mitigation and adaptation of the climate change impact, she said they have built flats at Khuruskul in Cox's Bazar to provide shelter to the climate refugees.   She reiterated that none would remain landless and homeless across the country as her government has provided houses with lands free of cost.   The premier said Bangladesh is the only country in the world from where the allied forces went back to their country within three months under the dynamic leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.   Mentioning the discrimination between the then East (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan in every sector particularly in government services, she said only one colonel from erstwhile east Pakistan was in the Pakistani military services.   "But, now many generals are in the Bangladesh Army and it is made possible as Bangladesh has achieved independence," she said.   The Prime Minister said officers with professional competency, excellence, honesty, and patriotism should be given promotion for enhancing their leadership capacity above personal liking and disliking.     "You have to keep in mind that selection of professionally efficient leadership is possible through neutral evaluation and you should give importance on high moral character for promotion. I hope you will discharge duty with honesty and dedication," she said.   The officers having strong mentality, honesty and other qualities for leadership with loyalty are qualified for higher promotion, she said. "So, the officers who have a successful leadership record in military life should be considered for promotion," she added.   Mentioning that members of the army always stand beside the people, Sheikh Hasina said they are playing a very praiseworthy role in the UN peacekeeping missions which brightens the nation's image at global level.   The Prime Minister said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had taken various initiatives including the construction of Military Academy in Cumilla in 1972 to build a developed, professional and trained force soon after the independence.   Bangabandhu also formulated a defence policy in 1974, she said.   Her government has been continuing the development and modernisation process of the armed forces by formulating the "Armed Forces Goal 2030" following the Bangabandhu's defence policy, she added.   PM's Security Adviser Major General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, Chief of Army Staff General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed, PMO Senior Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah and Senior Secretary of the Defence Ministry Golam Md Hashibul Alam, were present, among others. Source: BSS AH

Construction of Dr. M A Wazed Miah High-Tech Park, Rangpur will begin at Kholishakuri area in the city tomorrow (May 26) to fulfill hopes of young generations and entrepreneurs of the region.   Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury MP is expected to lay the foundation stone to launch the construction virtually from the capital city by unveiling a plaque of much awaited Dr. M A Wazed Miah High-Tech Park in the morning.   Officials said State Minister of the ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak MP will preside over a foundation stone laying function to be arranged on the occasion at Rangpur Zilla Parishad Community Centre in the city.   Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury is likely to address the function virtually from the capital city as the chief guest.   Managing Director (Additional Secretary) of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority Bikarna Kumar Ghosh will deliver a welcome speech at the function.   Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohd Abdul Alim Mahmud, Deputy Commissioner Md. Asib Ahsan, Project Director (Deputy Secretary) of the Learning and Earning Project Md. Humayun Kabir, Chairman of Dr. MA Wazed Miah Memorial Foundation AKM Chhayadat Hossain Bakul, President of district Awami League Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed, its General Secretary Advocate Rezaul Karim Raju, President of city Awami League Shafiur Rahman, its General Secretary Tushar Kanti Mandal will address as special guests.   Talking to BSS today, Project Director (Deputy Secretary) of the IT/Hi-Tech Park at District Level (12 Districts) Project A.K.A.M. Fazlul Hoque said preparations have been completed to launch construction work of the High-Tech Park in Rangpur city.   The process of acquiring land has been completed for constructing the Hi-Tech Park to create an atmosphere for establishing industries on ICT, engineering, electronics, telecommunication and biotechnology and more avenues of employment in this venture. "Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority is implementing the Taka 176-crore project initiated by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division to establish knowledge-based IT industries and generate employment for the new IT entrepreneurs," he said.   Dr. M A Wazed Miah High-Tech Park will have a seven-storey Multi-Tenant Building (MTB) with steel structures, a three-storey ultramodern Cineplex, a three-storey Dormitory and other structures with modern facilities.   "On completion of construction work, direct and indirect working scopes will be created for at least 5,000 young start-ups, IT professionals and entrepreneurs at Dr. M A Wazed Miah High-Tech Park in Rangpur," the Project Director said.   The construction work of Dr. M A Wazed Miah High-Tech Park in Rangpur is expected to complete by June, 2024 to create employment opportunities for both male and female youths of the region.   Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology of Begum Rokeya University Professor Dr. Abu Kalam Md. Farid Ul Islam said after construction of the High-Tech Park, students and youths of Rangpur region will get job opportunities.   " Dr. M A Wazed Miah High-Tech Park will further expand the IT department, develop the software industry and play an important role in revenue generation in Bangladesh," he added. Source: BSS AH

Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan said the capacity of the port would be increased 3 to 4 times after completing the construction of Bay Terminal and Matarbari Port Development Project. Besides, the authority has taken short-, medium- and long-term strategy to cope with increasing growth of cargo, containers and vessel handling of the port in line with user friendly one. The CPA chairman said this while exchanging views with journalists in observance of 135 Chattogram Port Day at Shahid Munshi auditorium hall on Sunday. The Port Chairman informed that Cox's Bazar district administration had handed over 283.27 acres of land under the Matarbari Port Development Project to the port authorities on March 30. “Tenders will be called for the construction of the port. The Matarbari terminal will be able to accommodate ships with a depth of more than 18 meters,” he added. The CPA Chairman said as part of directives of present government, an initiative has been taken to make the Newmooring container terminal fully operational after procurements of handling equipment. He informed that the district administration handed over the documents of 67 acres of privately owned land under the Bay Terminal project to the port. “The Ministry of Land has been requested through the Ministry of Shipping to allocate another 803 acres of land in favor of the port at a symbolic price.  The port authorities are working to build 1,500 meters long multipurpose terminal by 2025”, he added. He said the construction work of Patenga Container Terminal (PCT) for handling 4.5 lakh TEU's containers a year is 90 percent complete. The project is being implemented at a cost of Tk 1,229.56 crore.     “The container capacity has been increased to 55,000 by constructing 560,000 square meters yard in a decade to increase the capacity of the port.  A total of 390 different types of cargo and container handling equipments including ship to shore key gantry crane, mobile harbor crane, rubber tiered gantry crane has been collected,” he added. A total of 32 lakh 14 thousand TEUs containers were handled in Chattogram port in 2021 with growth of 13.19 percent.   The main programme of the day included hoisting of the national and CPA flags at the Port Bhaban at 9 am and according reception to the retired employees of the port at 4 pm. The daylong programme included discussions, view-exchange and colourful cultural function. Port member (Harbor and Marine) Commodore Mostafizur Rahman, Member (Finance) Kamrul Amin, Member (Engineering) Capt. Mahbubur Ragman, Heads of all Departments and CBA leaders, among others, attended the view exchange meeting Source: BSS AH

        48 houses have been constructed and 176 are under construction under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. Anil Singh, President, Municipal Committee Parole, said, “44 beneficiaries of Municipal Committee Nagari Parole have been issued the second instalment of Rs 22,30,000 for construction of pucca houses under the PMAY and My Town My Pride.” “238 beneficiaries were selected under the Yojana and were given the financial assistance to construct a pucca house. Out of which, 176 houses are under construction and 48 have been completed so far,” Singh further added. One of the beneficiaries, Geeta Kumari, said, “We are very thankful to the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi for the financial assistance given to construct our house which was otherwise impossible as we hardly earn enough to feed our family.” Another beneficiary, Sushma Devi, said, “No other government has done such good work for us and we are thankful to the PM for implementing such scheme.” Source: ANI