The inauguration of transport master plan and preliminary feasibility study of metro rail in Chittagong was held at Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View on Tuesday.
The project was inaugurated virtually by Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader as the chief guest.
He said: “This project will play an important role in decongesting the port city of Chittagong and building a sustainable transport system. Metro rail will become very attractive in Chittagong just like in Dhaka.”
In the opening speech, Obaidul Quader highlighted various activities of the Sheikh Hasina government, including the construction of another marine drive for the development of Chittagong, the upgrading of the road to six lanes, and the upgrading of the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar road to four lanes.
In regards to the feasibility study launching of metro rail in Chittagong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun said: “This kick off event has a significant meaning not only for the future of Bangladesh but also for the future of the Korea-Bangladesh ties.”
He added that the project is significant as firstly, this year the two countries share the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Secondly, the Chittagong MRT project will be the next big thing that shows how Bangladesh is advancing toward its goal of becoming an advanced economy by 2041 and finally Korea is supporting the development of the Chittagong city through such projects where more than 300 Korean people are living and doing business for a long time.
Chittagong Metro Rail Project Manager Tony Ilho Jung said: "We will investigate the feasibility of constructing a subway in Chittagong. The feasibility of an overhead metro rail will also be checked. However, the primary objective is to determine the feasibility of a subway. This feasibility study might take two to three years."
He continued: "We want to test the feasibility in such a way that we will succeed. Chittagong's appearance will change if a metro rail is constructed. The pressure on transport will be relieved. People will have more time. It will also have a significant impact on the economy of Chittagong."
Along with the launch of the feasibility study program for the construction of the metro rail, there was a discussion on how Chittagong's transport system should be organized. Representatives from all stakeholders, including the city corporation and the development authority, took part in the discussion.
Meanwhile, Quader said work on upgrading the Dhaka-Chittagong highway to six lanes will begin shortly. With assistance from donor organization JICA, the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar route will be upgraded to four lanes, he added.
The Bangabandhu Tunnel project is also nearly finished, the minister said.
The overall cost of implementing the "Transport Masterplan and Preliminary Feasibility Study for Urban Metrorail Transit Construction in Chittagong Metropolitan Area (CMA)" project is Tk70.6258 crore. Tk13.6258 crore came from government funds, while Tk57 crore $6 million USD) came from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the project on November 22. It was said at the time that if the project is implemented, traffic congestion in Chittagong city will be reduced and people's living standards will improve. The introduction of an eco-friendly metro system would strengthen the institutional capacity of several organizations involved in metropolitan traffic management.