The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Leaders of Chittagong Samity-Dhaka (CSD) yesterday called upon the Government to take steps for the implementation of Dhaka-Chittagong Four-Lane Mega-Road Project to accelerate the country's economic growth.

They demanded it at a press conference at CSD Conference Room yesterday.

Leaders of the CSD said that the Government incurred huge loss due to existing two-lane road between Dhaka and Chittagong.

"Over 10 lakh containers were being handled per year due to modernisation of Chittagong Port during the Caretaker Government. Around 90 per cent of the containers were carried through the two-lane Dhaka-Chittagong Road. The transportation of the containers had created serious congestions on the narrow road of Dhaka-Chittagong Highway," Md Jahangir Alam Khan, President of CSD said.

He said that the containers congestion at the Chittagong Port would continue if the export-import goods could not be delivered in time due to traffic jam on the road.

"Road accidents are regular phenomenon due to heavy pressure of transports," Jahangir said.

"It also consumes huge quantity of fuels and wastes working hours for the same reason," he added.

Leaders of CSD called upon the Government to being implementation of the project.

"If the Government fails to implement the project within a timeframe, the donor agency will withdraw its loan from the project," they said.

The Government has taken initiative to start the project in 2006 last at a cost of Tk 2,000 crore. The authority invited tender for the project at that time.

Later, the authority also invited re-tender due to massive corruption in the tender process.

It is alleged that a Chinese company could not place its tender in due time as the representative of the company was abducted before dropping of the tender. A three-member committee was formed, led by BRTA Chairman Sunil Kanti Bosh to probe into the matter.

CSD General Secretary Mohammed Zakaria, Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce Abu Alam Chowdhury and other senior leaders of CSD addressed the press conference.