Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on November 26 today have joined an event marking an end to the general work of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel’s south tube, which goes beneath the river Karnaphuli in Chattogram. She also officially proclaims the completion of the tunnel’s south side.
Sheikh Hasina joined the event, organized by the Bridges Division, virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban.
Construction work of the Karnaphuli Tunnel’s southern end has been completed entirely, while 99 percent work of the tunnel’s northern end has been finished.
This is the first under-river tunnel in South Asia, which is expected to contribute 0.166 percent in the national economy growth with boosting employment, tourism, and industrialisation. Karnaphuli Tunnel is expected to improve the traffic situation in Chattogram.
According to project sources, two 5.35km approach roads are being constructed on the eastern and western sides of the tunnel. The length of the tunnel is 3.32km, and it is being constructed at a depth of 18 to 31 metres under the Karnaphuli river.
According to officials, as of now, the overall progress of the project is 94 percent. It’ll take two more months to complete the rest of the work.
Karnaphuli Tunnel is being built at a cost of Tk 10,374 crore. The tunnel project is being implemented with joint funding of the governments of Bangladesh and China (G2G). The Exim Bank of China is giving a loan of Tk 5,913 crore while the Bangladesh government is funding the rest.
The Karnaphuli river divides Chattogram into two parts. The tunnel being built – following the “One City, Two Towns” model like Shanghai in China – will connect the port city on the north with Anwara upazila on the south.
At present, the construction of a toll plaza at the tunnel’s Anwara end is going on in full swing.
Project officials are hoping that the Karnaphuli Tunnel will bring about revolutionary changes to the road communication landscape between Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar. Chattogram’s Anwara has already started to witness a change in its fortune through setting up of new industries on both sides of the tunnel’s approach road in the upazila.
At least 10 large industrial groups and 150 businesspeople have bought land in advance to establish factories in various sectors – power, petroleum, apparel, shipbuilding, fish processing, steel, cement and oil refinery – on the south bank of the Karnaphuli, according to official data.
The tunnel will reduce the distance between Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram by 40km.
