The construction of the country's first tunnel, Bangabandhu Tunnel, under the Karnafuli River in the port city of Chittagong is nearing completion. The government is saying that its inauguration will be announced in December this year, and it will be opened for traffic. The preparations for its construction mean that the tunnel will be operational within the stipulated time.
The project is modeled on Shanghai with the goal to make it “one city, two towns.” The main tunnel in the Bangabandhu Tunnel is 3.43km long. In addition to the main tunnel, there is a 5.35km connecting road at the end of Patenga and Anwara, and an overbridge of 628m at the end of Anwara. As a whole, the total amount of this saturated work is 9.33km.
The tunnel can be reached from the northern end or from the city side through five roads -- Outer Ring Road, Elevated Expressway, Kathgarh Road, Airport Road, and Patenga Beach Road. On the other hand, south of the river Anwara has Korean EPZ, China EPZ, CUFL, Parky Beach. After crossing the Karnafuli, one may access the Cox's Bazar, Banshkhali, and Matarbari power plants, as well as the Matarbari deep sea port via Anwara.
This tunnel is crucial from an economic perspective. As a result of this tunnel, the port city of Chittagong will be completed as a commercial city. Matarbari deep seaport, Maheshkhali LNG terminal, and Banshkhali coal power plants will be at the center of economic activities. United Group, a private industrial enterprise, is building a 300MW power plant. Meanwhile, S Alam Group is developing a 1,320MW coal-fired power station in Banshkhali. Overall, private investment on the other side of the river will rise.
The China Economic Zone is already being set up in Anwara with 783 acres of land. There will be a variety of productive enterprises built in private industrial zones. That is, there will be a rise in overall economic activity. There will be a large amount of employment, a significant part of which will be women, which will help the country reduce the unemployment rate. The tunnel will be the focal point of the majority of these possible economic activities.
In other words, this tunnel will serve as an economic hub for all of southeast Chittagong, commencing from the “Mirsarai Economic Zone,” at the beginning of Chittagong.
By entering the tunnel at the end of Patenga through City Outer Ring Road from Dhaka-Chittagong Highway, you can go up to Chaturi Chaumuhani Point of Patia-Anwara-Banshkhali Road at the end of Anwara. This will reduce the distance and cost between Dhaka-Chittagong and Cox's Bazar. In this case, vehicles will no longer have to enter Chittagong city. As a result, traffic congestion in Chittagong city will be reduced considerably. Smooth and fast communication will be established.
According to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), about 6.3 million vehicles will pass through the tunnel every year. Three years after the launch, that number will stand at 13.9 million, which will be 33.9 million in 2050, and 55 million in 2062.
A large part of it will be used for transporting raw materials and manufactured goods to Chittagong port, airports, and the north-western part of the country. As a result, costs associated with production will be lower and the process will be easier. That is, a strong modern communication system will be developed.
Of course, the tunnel runs along the bottom of the river; fortunately there is a blueness of natural beauty on both sides of the whole path. So there is a huge potential for tourism around this tunnel. It is already known that 700 acres of char land will be developed for “coastal tourism.”
Patenga beach on the other side is also being modernized and made suitable for picnics, annual sports, and other recreational activities. Anwara Parkir Char and the surrounding area of the tunnel will develop as a tourism industry with the creation of an efficient communication infrastructure.
After the Padma Bridge, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel or Bangabandhu Tunnel will be another great achievement of the country in fifty years of independence. It is a matter of pride that the Bangabandhu Tunnel is the first underwater subway in South Asia.
We hope that this tunnel will increase the employment opportunities in the country, which will contribute to the reduction of poverty and, at the same time, increase the regional connectivity, which will lead to a huge positive change in economic development.
Rokibul Huda Majumder is a freelance contributor.
