Dhaka Zila Parishad Administrator Yasin Ferdous Murad has directed the authorities concerned to complete the work on the 20-storey Zila Parishad Tower at the earliest.

He made the directive during a visit to the tower under construction at 46-47 Johnson Road in the capital on Tuesday, according to a press release issued on Wednesday.

While talking to reporters after the inspection, Murad said the contract for the project was signed in 2012 with Tama Construction & Co Limited at a cost of Tk 1,602,622,470, with the work order issued accordingly.

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He said the original completion deadline was May 17, 2015, which was later extended to December 30, 2016.

However, with only about 35 percent of the work completed, a total of Tk 535,648,617 was paid to the contractor in eight instalments based on applications.

Murad said construction has remained stalled since 2017, adding that after assuming office, he contacted the authorities concerned to resume and complete the project as soon as possible.

He also instructed the Zila Parishad Chief Executive Officer and other officials to take necessary steps for implementation.

The Zila Parishad Administrator further said the project could create employment opportunities for around 400 families and would help ensure better use of state
resources.

Zila Parishad Chief Executive Officer (additional charge) Md Badruddoza Shuvo, Assistant Engineer Md Shafiqul Islam, Administrative Officer Md Shahabuddin, and deputy assistant engineers were present during the visit.