The Communications Minister Obaidul Quader said the construction work of Karnaphuli Tunnel would be started in the next fiscal year yesterday in Chittagong.
He told this while talking to the journalists after inaugurating
Aktaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu Bridge at Kalarpole area in Patiya upazila of Chittagong district yesterday morning.
The minister said the construction cost of the much awaited tunnel would be in between Tk6,500 crore and Tk7,000 crore while China Communications and Construction Company Limited (CCCC), a state company of China, would finance the construction of the tunnel.
“A Chinese delegation will come to Bangladesh to negotiate on the project within a few days,” he added.
After the construction of the tunnel, a new dimension would be added in the connectivity sector of the region, he said.
The trade and commerce will also mushroom in the region after its construction, he added.
Besides, traffic congestion will be eased to a great extent by the tunnel, he hoped.
Meanwhile, Quader said the work of Dhaka-Chittagong Highway four-lane up-gradation project would be completed by December this year.