The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

As a package plan for improving the capital's transportation system was unveiled, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed Thursday said the government is thinking about mass transit in the city so that huge people can move at a time smoothly.

He said though implementation of such mass- transport scheme is a matter of long time, but the decision should be taken now. He mentioned some options of mass transit, including underground train and human hauler.

The head of caretaker government made the remarks while inaugurating the under-implementation Airport Road-Rokeya Sarani (Agargaon-Mirpur-10) Link Road on the western side of Tejgaon Old Airport.

The 2.6-kilometer-long and 53-foot-wide four-lane link road will connect the roads of east and west sides of the old airport joining in front of the Chief Adviser's office and Agargaon area passing inside the peripheral side of the old airport.

Implementation of the project involves a cost of around Tk 25 crore, and it is expected to be completed this October, two months ahead of the targeted time.

The link road is being constructed by the Core of Engineers of Bangladesh Army with Dhaka City Corporation as implementation organization and the Local Government Division of LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry as initiator.

The objective of the project is to establish connection between east and west parts of Tejgaon Old Airport, reduce traffic congestion on roads adjacent to the old airport and improve transportation and ensure continuous movement of vehicles by the end part of Mohakhali Flyover.

Advisers, Special Assistants to Chief Adviser, Chiefs of the three services and civil and military officials were present at the function.

BUET teacher Dr Shamsul Huq briefed about 10 projects on road and bridge communications in the capital city, including Airport-Rokeya Sarani, of which some are ongoing and some are under process.

Two other BUET teachers--Dr Mojibur Rahman and Dr Jubaer-bin-Alam--also briefed about Dhaka City communications networks and some projects.

The ongoing projects have been taken up under the personal initiative of the Chief Adviser for reducing nagging traffic congestion in the capital city.

The Chief Adviser said the present government, besides other activities, is also giving attention to resolving traffic congestion.

Mentioning that Strategic Transport Plan (STP) has been endorsed by the Advisory Council, he hoped that various policies and projects would be taken up under this comprehensive plan in the future. Referring to various ongoing projects of road-bridge communications in the capital, he said, "The objective of taking such initiative is to resolve the traffic congestion in a short time."

He said the government would also take initiative to construct underpasses.

Referring to Hatirjheel project in the city, he said the project is important both in respect of environment and reducing traffic jams.

"The future generation will enjoy a beautiful environment of the lake being made out of the Hatirjheel."

He emphasized giving further attention to traffic signaling, management and traffic education for streamlining the entire communications system in the burgeoning capital.

Addressing the function, LGRD Adviser M Anwarul Iqbal described the ongoing projects of road-and-bridge communications in the capital city, some of which will be completed within this year, some by 2009 and some by 2010.

He mentioned the projects like construction of road from Bijoy Sarani to Tejgaon commercial area, development of Hatirjheel area, including Begunbari canal, construction of link road from Zia Colony to Mirpur Cantonment, link-bridge between Banani and Gulshan lakes, construction of road from Mirpur Grameen Bank to Agargaon.

"East-west and north-south transport movement will be easy after completion of these projects," he told the function.

He also mentioned that the project for construction of Jatrabari-Gulshan flyover is being prepared freshly as the project was canceled due to anomalies.

Emphasizing the need for improving and expanding roads, the LGRD Adviser said about 1.21 lakh new motorized vehicles adds up to the country's transport pool every year, of which 37 thousand new registrations are taking place in Dhaka city alone.