Towards a more livable country

Bangladesh is on the cusp of realising most of the infrastructural investments made over the last decade plus. Admittedly, many projects were delayed, there were cost overruns, and then there was an expansion of the size and gamut of the original project size including two years of massive disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which made all the best-laid plans, mobilization and preparations to go awry.

The pride project is indeed the Tk 30,193 crore (revised cost) Padma Multipurpose Bridge. A dream is finally unfolding and we hope to be driving over it or taking a train a few months from now. This was a highly ambitious project and the brainchild of our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It is her vision and strong determination, focus, endurance and follow-up which is helping us get a bridge that will raise our GDP by at least 1%, once it is functional. The financing partners withdrawing from the project did not daunt our bold Prime Minister. Undaunted, she declared that Bangladesh will build the bridge with its own resources. Many thought this was impossible and the naysayers will now have to swallow their words as the bridge nears completion. Kudos and plaudits galore to our Prime Minister for being able to gift this jewel to the nation.

The Dhaka MRT Line Project is in the making. Viaducts and train tracks have been laid from Uttara to Agargaon for Dhaka MRT Line—6, the first phase of the project, the revised cost of which is Tk 21,985 crores and which is expected to go into service in December 2022. The proposed total cost of the entire project is Tk 33,472 crores and the scheduled finish is December 2025. The coaches have arrived and the engineers are busy testing them on the tracks. The stations are being built with some to be iconic and havе every comfort for the passengers. Once the trains run from Uttara to Kamalapur Railway Station, the transport system of this traffic-jammed city will improve a lot and afford commuters a comfortable and smooth ride from their homes to places of work.  

There is talk of a subway. Echoing the words of certain experts, I think this is a very ambitious project and could turn out to be a very expensive and disruptive job in a city like Dhaka, with soft soil and so many water bodies strewn across the city. I think there should be serious discussions and brainstorming on the feasibility and viability of such a project, given that the costs and time required would be very high and long. Not to speak of the delays caused by rains and flooding, which is a natural phenomenon of this burgeoning city.

The Tk 4,268 crore Bus Rapid Transit has been too long in the making. It has also gone much beyond the original deadline for completion and so has the cost escalated. The worst part has been the suffering of the two-way commuters – those who live in Gazipur, Tongi and Uttara and journey to their office in the city every day, and then there are those who live in the city and travel the other way to go to their offices and factories. Add to that the sound and dust pollution, which combine to make life for the residents hellish. 

It is very important that this project picks up traction and is completed on an emergency basis bringing relief to the people.   

After stagnating for a while, and some attribute this to the slowdown brought in by the pandemic, the Tk 17,000 crore Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway work has picked up speed and one can see the progress, every day. This is an important project to further relieve the city from its nightmarish sufferings on the roads. The project, when completed, will also provide a direct link to the very busy Shahjalal International Airport, expansion work of which is now underway on an urgent basis.

Next comes the Tk 10,374.42 crore Bangabandhu Tunnel, which will connect the other side of the river from near the Hazrat Shah Amanat International Airport, Patenga, Chattagram. This project will usher in the revolutionary development of Chattagram with another twin metropolis growing on the other bank of the River Karnaphuli. The tunnel, the first of its kind in the country, is also expected to contribute to GDP growth and quick transportation of industrial goods to the myriad of factories spread out on the other bank of the Karnaphuli and beyond. 

Tourists are waiting for the day that they can board a train in Dhaka and journey to the seaside holiday resort of Cox’s Bazar. The project is underway, however, this has also seen delays, reportedly caused by land acquisition problems. Once the trains start rolling, the seaside resort will see a spurt in tourist arrivals which is good for the hotels, motels, restaurants, shops and related establishments in the area. The higher tourist arrivals will mean better economic opportunities for the people of the area.

There has been revolutionary work done in the electrification sector with the Prime Minister declaring 100% coverage recently. With the $12.65 billion Rooppur Nuclear Plant and other projects now underway, the country will have surplus power when they join the national electricity grid. It is heartening to note that very recently the Government has taken an initiative to sell power to our neighboring countries. This, I think, makes good sense, as we can then envision a regional grid encompassing the sub-continent and support each other’s needs. For example, the coal production in India has dropped of late and this is the main source of generating electricity in that country. At such times, we can sell power to India as a reciprocal arrangement, as we do currently purchase power from them.

The noise pollution in addition to the air pollution in Dhaka is slated to be one of the worst in the world. People suffer from lung-related and other such diseases which impact life expectancy. An all-pervading program needs to be taken by a coordinating body to address this terrible problem which means we cannot remain healthy. And, people driving vehicles honk their horns most unnecessarily creating a cacophony of harsh and trilling sounds which make life unbearable. People’s work is hampered, students find it hard to concentrate on their studies and sleep is disturbed. It is very easy to train the drivers not to honk unless there is a looming emergency. For this, we need to build awareness via television and radio channels and also social media. 

Many more projects are underway in the country and we hope to write about them in a forthcoming article. Let us look for better days for the people of the country, once all the above-mentioned projects are up and running, thereby making life more comfortable and also generating better economic opportunities. 

The writer is a former bank CEO, financial consultant and educationist and is involved as a director and advisor with a number of organisations.