North gets a four-lane highway

Ecnec, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has given green signal to a massive road expansion programme titled “SASEC Road Link Project II: Elenga-Hatikamrul-Rangpur Highway Four-Lane Upgradation.” The government has estimated the construction cost of the 194.40km-long road at Tk11,881.13 crore. The road will connect with India and Nepal through Banglabandha and with India and Bhutan through Burimari, aiming to boost sub-regional connectivity. Of the total project cost, Tk2,541.21 crore will come from the government fund while the rest Tk9,339.92 crore will come as project assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The project is one of the seven prioritised road projects of the government. The other six projects are Dhaka-Chittagong highway and construction of the Padma Bridge and its immediate approach roads, new four-lane Kanchpur, Meghna and Gumti bridges, four-lane road between Benapole and the proposed Padma Bridge 2, four-lane Dhaka (Kanchpur)-Narsingdi-Sarail-Tamabil highway, and four-lane Baraierhat-Heako-Ramgarh highway. Briefing reporters after the meeting at the NEC conference room, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said this is a unique road network that will be established among four countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal. Once it is completed, trade and commerce will increase significantly within the sub region, he said. He said the SASEC Road Connectivity Project is already underway as the 70km Joydevpur-Tangail-Elenga highway is being upgraded to four lanes. Under the project, the government will convert existing two lane highway into four-lane to establish a better road communication with SASEC corridors 4 and 9, Asian Highway 2, BIMSTEC 2, and Saarc Corridor 4. The highway would be upgraded through Kalihati upazila of Tangail, Sirajganj Sadar, Kamarkhand, Ullapara, Raiganj upazilas, Bogra Sadar, Sherpur, Shibganj upazilas, Gobindaganj, Polashbari, Sadullapur upazilas of Gaibandha, Rangpur Sadar, Pirganj and Mithapukur upazilas. As per the plan, the project will be completed by 2021 in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank.