Karnaphuli Tunnel, the country’s first underwater expressway tunnel in Chattagram, was built just for the convenience of the former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed,  the chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam said on Wednesday

“We don’t need Karnaphuli Tunnel right now. May be it would have been needed after 10 years, but not now,” he said while speaking at the Development Journalists’ Forum of Bangladesh (DJFB) talk held at the NEC Auditorium in the Planning Commission.

Shafiqul said that now the government is unable to collect even the loan servicing money from this tunnel’s toll collection.

“This is because there is nothing on the other side. Anwara Upazila is there, which is the home place of the Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed. For his own need he built that tunnel,” he said.

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He asked the journalists to find out the truth and who was behind this project.

He also said that a seven star hotel has been built there using Tk 450 crore. “Who will stay there? What attraction is there for the people to stay there? He made it for his own purpose,” he added.

The press secretary said Jabed might have thought that they (Awami League) will be in power till 2041.

“These were all wastages, for that we all are bearing burdens. The government is increasing taxes to tackle this situation, there is no other way, we have to do the loan servicing,” he added.

The tunnel was inaugurated on October 28, 2023 beneath the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram. This is the first underwater expressway tunnel in South Asia.

The tunnel, stretching 3.32 kilometers with two tubes each accommodating two lanes, connects Patenga on the river’s west bank to Anwara on the east.