The government is targeting completion of the Dhaka-Sylhet highway's upgrade to six lanes by June 2029, Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam has said.
“We are working with the target of completing the six-lane upgrade and opening the road to the public by June 2029,” he said while speaking to journalists on Saturday afternoon after inspecting the progress of the SASEC Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Development Project in Shashai area of Bijoynagar upazila, Brahmanbaria.
He said land acquisition, construction and other activities under the project were being expedited to meet the target.
According to Rabiul, progress in land acquisition has reached around 56% over the past six months following necessary initiatives. He expressed hope that 100% of the land acquisition would be completed within the next two months.
Physical work on the project is also progressing, although the pace varies among its 13 packages, he said.
“Work on eight of the 13 packages is progressing satisfactorily, while the progress of five packages is not at the expected level,” the minister said.
He said authorities were identifying problems affecting progress and resolving them quickly to accelerate work on the affected sections.
The ministerl said the Dhaka-Sylhet highway is one of the country's important national highways and that its development is significant not only as an infrastructure project but also for the economy, trade, tourism and regional connectivity.
Once completed, the project will make communication between Dhaka and the country's northeastern region faster, safer and smoother, he said.
It will also help accelerate business, trade and economic activities in the region, he added.
The minister acknowledged that ongoing construction was causing temporary inconvenience to people in some sections of the highway.
He said concerned authorities had been instructed to take necessary measures to reduce inconvenience to commuters while expediting the project.
Rabiul also instructed officials and contractors to ensure construction quality, complete the work within the stipulated time and give the highest priority to road safety.
“Necessary measures must be taken to increase the pace of work in sections where progress is slow,” he said, urging all concerned agencies to work in coordination to complete the project on time.
During his daylong visit, the minister inspected the Kanchpur-Narsingdi, Brahmanbaria and Habiganj sections of the SASEC Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Development Project.
He reviewed the progress of work through on-site inspections and provided necessary directions regarding implementation.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Dr Mohammad Ziaul Haque, project officials, officials of the Roads and Highways Department and representatives involved in the construction work were present.
