61pc work of Bangabandhu Tunnel completed

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday inaugurated the boring work of the second tube of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River in the port city.

He joined the inaugural ceremony from his official residence on parliament premises in Dhaka.

Quader, also Awami League general secretary, said the tunnel is being built at a cost of Tk 10,400 crore while 61 percent works of the project has been completed.

He said the 9.1 kilometre-long tunnel is the first of its kind in South Asia.

The minister said the tunnel is being built to turn Chattogram into "One City, Two Towns" like Shanghai city in China.

The tunnel will develop a modern communication system among Dhaka-Chattogram and Cox's Bazar and it will connect the Asian highway, he said.

Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam, Bridges Division Secretary Md Belayet Hossain, Project Director Harun-or-Rashid, other officials of the project and Bangladesh Navy members joined the event through virtual platform from Chattogram.