Omar faruk jalal
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has unveiled the plaque of Bangabandhu Tunnel, one of the country’s projects built under the Karnaphuli river in Chittagong. It is the first road tunnel in South Asia.
At 11:41 am on Saturday, the Prime Minister unveiled the plaque of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel by pressing the switch at the Patenga end of the city. After that, the Prime Minister will go to the KPZ ground of Karnaphuli upazila through the tunnel and address the public meeting organized by Chittagong South District Awami League.
This nameplate is placed on the right side of the tunnel entrance. A similar nameplate has been installed in the toll plaza area of Tunnel in Anwara Upazila of Chittagong.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina officially inaugurated the excavation of the tunnel on February 24, 2019. About four and a half years after the start of construction, the tunnel was inaugurated. Vehicular movement will start from 6 am on Sunday. After the unveiling of the plaque, prayers were held.
Jatiya Sangsad Deputy Leader Matia Chowdhury, Awami League Presidium member Mosharraf Hossain, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hashan Mahmud and Lands Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury were present.
Project Director. Harunur Rashid Chowdhury said that the tunnel will make Chittagong city ‘two cities into one city’ like Shanghai city in China. It will boost the country’s economy.
According to the project details, almost half of the project, built at a cost of Tk 10,374 crore, has been financed by China’s Exim Bank. The length of the entire route of the tunnel is 9.39 kilometers (5.83 mi), the length of the tunnel is 3.32 kilometers (2.06 mi) and its diameter is 10.80 meters (35.4 ft). This will improve the Dhaka-Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar highway network. It was built by the Chinese company China Communications Construction Company.