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Bangabandhu Tunnel Nears Completion: Final Touches Underway for Inauguration
Chattogram’s highly anticipated infrastructure marvel, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel, is on the verge of completion with 98 percent of its construction work finished. The project director, Md Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, revealed that the remaining two percent will be swiftly completed as workers and engineers are working tirelessly round the clock. The grand inauguration is expected to be graced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in September. The tunnel, a crucial element in transforming Chattogram into “one city with two towns,” runs beneath the Karnaphuli River and will be open to vehicular traffic from September onwards.
The tunnel, boasting multiple lanes, will directly link the Chattogram Port to Anwara upazila, creating a seamless connection between Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar. The twin tubes, constructed 11 meters apart, ensure convenient passage for heavy vehicles. The impressive 3.40-kilometer-long tunnel is complemented by a 5.35-kilometer-long approach road and a 740-meter bridge, connecting the bustling city, port, and the western side of the river with its industrializing eastern side and Anwara upazila.
The tunnel’s significance lies in its role in the Asian Highway and Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox’sBazar Highway, considerably reducing the distance by 40 kilometers and allowing vehicles to cruise at 80 kilometers per hour. With a total cost of Tk 10,374 crore, the project is jointly funded by the governments of Bangladesh and China, with the China Communications Construction Company Ltd serving as the contractor. The Exim Bank of China provides a loan of Tk 5,913 crore at a nominal two percent interest, while the Bangladesh government funds the remaining portion.
Business leaders anticipate the tunnel to be a game-changer for the southeastern region of Bangladesh, solving connectivity issues and fostering economic growth. As the project nears its completion date, excitement grows for the transformation it will bring to Chattogram and the greater region. The tunnel’s inauguration is eagerly awaited by the nation, as it represents a testament to Bangladesh’s commitment to enhancing infrastructure and facilitating smoother transportation networks for the benefit of its citizens.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds at most places across the Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Some areas may experience moderately heavy to very heavy rainfall, according to their latest weather bulletin released on Thursday.
Day and night temperatures are expected to remain nearly unchanged across the country.
The highest rainfall in the country over the past 24 hours was recorded in Kumarkhali, with 104mm of rain by 6 a.m. on Thursday.
The axis of the monsoon trough extends from India’s Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal to Assam, passing through Bangladesh, with one of its associated troughs stretching into the North Bay of Bengal.
The monsoon remains active over Bangladesh and moderate to strong over the North Bay region.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted that the mild heat wave currently affecting parts of the country, including the capital, is expected to subside in most areas within the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
“A mild heat wave is sweeping across the divisions of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Sylhet, as well as the districts of Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia. It is likely to ease in most regions,” the department reported.
In addition, BMD predicted light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across most of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Some areas are expected to experience moderate to very heavy rainfall.
Temperatures across the country may drop by 1-2 degrees Celsius during both day and night.
On Monday, Dinajpur in the Rangpur division recorded the country’s highest temperature at 38.6°C, while Bandarban in the Chattogram division saw the lowest temperature at 24.6°C early today.
Meanwhile, rainfall recorded in the past 24 hours, ending at 6 am today, reached 66 mm in Nikli of Dhaka Division.
The sunset in Dhaka is at 5:53 pm today, and sunrise is expected at 5:49 am tomorrow.
Two separate murder cases were filed today in connection with the deaths of a private service holder and a Madrasa student during the anti-discrimination student movement.
The first case was lodged by Ridwan Ahmed with Panchlaish police station, accusing former ministers Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, and 127 others for the death of his nephew Sujan, 14. Sujan, the son of Belal Hossain from Beramara village in Noakhali’s Sadar Thana, was a student at Al Jamirul Hayat Madrasa in the city’s Chandgaon area. He was fatally shot in the Muradpur area on July 18.
The second case was filed by Jamal Uddin at Doublemooring police station, accusing 225 individuals, including Dr. Hasan Mahmud and Education Minister Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, for the killing of his elder brother Alam, a private service holder, on August 5.
