The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) Wednesday approved a Taka 16,918.59 crore South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Development project in a bid to ensure overall economic development by improving regional road connectivity.
The approval came from the 22nd ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year (FY21) held with ECNEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The premier chaired the meeting virtually from her official Ganobhaban residence while ministers, state ministers and secretaries concerned joined the meeting from the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that a total of nine projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 19,844.57 crore.
“Of the total project cost, Taka 6,599.88 crore will come from the government of Bangladesh while the rest Taka 13,244.69 crore as project assistance.”
Of the approved nine projects, six are new while three others are revised projects.
The planning minister said the SASEC corridor will improve the country’s road connectivity with Nepal, India, Myanmar and China. “It’s very important that we’re looking towards the East internationally.”
The Roads and Highways Department under the Road Transport and Highways Division will implement the SASEC corridor project by December 2026.
BSS adds: Out of the total project cost of Taka 16,918.59 crore, Taka 13,244.69 crore will come from the ADB as loan while Taka 3,673.90 crore from the government of Bangladesh.
Once the project is implemented, the road transport network of the country will be linked with the Asian highway network, BIMSTEC corridor, SAARC corridor, and regional road network.
The main objectives of the project are to upgrade the 209.328 KM Dhaka-Sylhet highway into four-lane alongside two service lanes on both sides of the highway for slow moving vehicles, straitening the existing curves of the highway, building necessary U-loops, intersections, and thus ensuring speedy and uninterrupted vehicular movement.
The main project operations include 245.42 lakh cubic meter of earth work, 72.73 lakh cubic meter flexible pavement, 2.92 lakh cubic meter flexible concrete pavement on service lanes, construction of 305 culverts, 66 bridges, seven flyovers, six railway over bridges, 26 foot over bridges.