Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam on Saturday has said the government is working to complete the six-laning of the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway and open it to the public by June 2029.
Land acquisition, construction and other related activities under the project are being expedited to meet the target, he said.
The minister made the remarks while responding to reporters after inspecting the progress of construction work under the SASEC Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Development Project at Shashai area in Bijoynagar upazila of Brahmanbaria in the afternoon.
He said the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway is one of the country’s most important national highways and the government has taken various effective measures to expedite the six-laning project.
Over the past six months, land acquisition for the project has reached around 56 percent following necessary initiatives, he said, expressing hope that the process would be completed fully within the next two months.
The physical progress of the project is also advancing, the minister said, adding that work on eight of the project’s 13 packages is progressing satisfactorily, while progress in the remaining five packages is below expectations.
He said the problems causing delays have been identified and steps are being taken to resolve them quickly and accelerate the project.
The minister said development of the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway is not merely a road infrastructure project but is highly important for the country’s economy, trade, tourism and regional connectivity.
Once completed, the project will make communication between Dhaka and the country’s northeastern region faster, safer and smoother, while boosting business, trade and economic activities in the region, he said.
He acknowledged that ongoing construction is causing temporary inconvenience to commuters on some sections of the highway.
However, he said the authorities concerned have been instructed to take necessary measures to minimise public suffering while expediting the project work.
The minister also instructed the officials concerned and contractors to ensure construction quality, complete the work within the stipulated timeframe and give the highest priority to road safety.
He directed that necessary measures be taken to speed up work on sections where progress is slow and called on all agencies concerned to work in coordination to complete the project on time.
During his daylong visit, the minister inspected the Kanchpur-Narsingdi, Brahmanbaria and Habiganj sections of the SASEC Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Development Project.
He reviewed the progress of work at different project sites and provided necessary directions regarding implementation.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Dr Mohammad Ziaul Haque, project officials, officials of the Roads and Highways Department and representatives of the contractors were present during the inspection.