Presently, the Dhaka-Chittagong highway is considered the busiest in the whole country providing a convenient approach to the port city for all kinds of fast moving vehicles. But its greater significance lies in the fact that the lion’s share of the export and import cargoes of the country travel from Dhaka to Chittagong and vice versa by using it on a daily basis. But over the time, the heavily used road has become unsuitable to meet the ever increasing volume of traffic. With the expansion of the country’s economy, the increase in the volume of commercial cargoes is putting more and more pressure on this road. The Dhaka-Chittagong highway required urgent uplift and expansion of its capacities not just to handle the present load rumbling on its surface without an end, but also in view of the traffic that is going to hit this vital communication artery in the near future.
Thus, a project was taken up from 2009 to increase its capacities by making it a four lane highway in place of the two lanes already in use.
But the latest information on the progress of work is disquieting. According to a report in this paper on Saturday only 36 per cent of the work on this project has been completed till June 30 though the deadline for competing it is December 2014. Thus, timely completion of this project seems to be highly uncertain.
According to media reports, the project is stalling for scarcity of funds. Contractors complain about funds not released to them. But it is a pity that such a pivotal project should now slow down making its implementation uncertain within the timeframe for shortage of funds. Also, as our report highlighted it, a construction company of Chinese origin who got the work order for a big part of the highway, has proved to be callous and unfit to do its work. It has reportedly completed only about 10 to 17 per cent of its share of work.
Thus, all these problems affecting this crucial project deserve to be urgently examined with a view to overcoming them quickly. That this government is nearing the end of its tenure can be no excuse. Even less important projects from the ADP can be given up and their funds diverted to this project. Ways can be found out to pressurize or persuade the Chinese firm to finish its part of the work in due time.