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Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway construction project shelved Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway
Collected Proposed Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway

Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway construction project shelved

Bangladesh Live News | @banglalivenews | 18 Oct 2021, 10:37 am

Dhaka, October 18: The proposal to cancel the Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway construction project has been approved in principle. As a result, construction of Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway is not being done in PPP (public-private partnership). A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Virtual Economic and Public Procurement was held at noon on Sunday (October 17) under the chairmanship of Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.

After the meeting, Additional Secretary to the Cabinet Md. Samsul Arefin told reporters online that the proposal to cancel the PPP-based construction project of Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway has been approved in principle. As a result, it will no longer be in PPP.

Asked why it was canceled after it cost Tk 100 crore, he said, "It was a feasibility study. That's where the money was not spent. Feasibility study has to be done for any work. This money belongs to GoB. This was discussed at the meeting, where it was said that a feasibility study has been done. Since the national highways will be upgraded to four lanes and side service lines will be constructed. It's happening all over the country. That is why the government will do it, that is the main decision. The bottom line is that it used to be in PPP. Now it is not happening in PPP, but there will be a four-lane highway, that is the main decision."

It is learned that the proposal to implement the Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway project in PPP system was approved in principle at the CCEA meeting on March 13, 2013. According to the decision of the government, instead of constructing the Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway at present, the existing four-lane Dhaka-Chittagong highway was widened and separate service lanes were constructed on both sides.

In view of this, the proposal to cancel the construction work of the Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway project in PPP method was approved in principle.

Additional Secretary Md. Samsul Arefin said the proposal to upgrade Hatirjheel-Rampura Bridge-Banasree-Sheikh's Place-Amulia-Demra Highway (including Chittagong Road Junction and Tarabo Link Highway) to four lanes on PPP basis has been withdrawn.