The Prime Minister inaugurated these development projects through videoconferencing from her official residence Ganobhaban in the city.
The newly opened development projects also included two bridges – 575-metre bridge over the Titas river in Brahmanbaria and 456-metre bridge over the Kaliganga river in Manikganj, several train services on different routes, 12-hour transmission of BTV's Chattogram centre programmes, and mobile apps-based ‘Palli Transaction’ for rendering the digital financial services of Palli Sanchay Bank.
Sheikh Russell Water Treatment Plant is capable of purifying 100 million litres of water every day while Bangabandhu Water Treatment Plant, constructed at Samantasena in RupshaUpazila, is capable of purifying 110 million liters a day.
Chattogram Wasa constructed Sheikh Russell Water Treatment Plant at cost of Tk 1890.82 crore and Khulna Wasa implemented the Bangabandhu Water Treatment Plant project at the cost of Tk 2554 crore to increase drinking water supply in the two cities.
The two bridges were constructed over the Titas river in Nabinagar upazila and over Kaliganga river in Singair Upazila at cost of Tk 37.95 core and Tk 54.29 crore respectively under Nine Important Bridges Project of the Local Government Division.
Sheikh Russell Water Treatment Plant.Photo:UNB
Also read: PM to open Sheikh Russel water treatment plant in Chattogram
The newly opened train services are a pair of inter-city new trains ‘Jamalpur Express’ on Tarakandi-Jamalpur-Dhaka route; route extension of ‘Dhalarchar Express’ (old Pabna Express) on Dhalarchar-Pabna-Rajshahi route and ‘Rajbari Express’ ( old Faridpur Express) on Pachuria-Faridpur-Bhanga route; and replacement of the coaches of ‘Udayan Express’ and ‘Paharika Express’ by newly imported coaches on Chattagram-Sylhet-Chattogram route.
The newly launched mobile app of Palli Sansay Bank will reach its transaction services to the grassroots. Due to the mobile app, some 22 lakh people would get hassle-free services as they can make transaction through the app without going to the branches of the bank.
At the function, the Prime Minister exchanged views with beneficiaries and stakeholders of the projects through the videoconference.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tajul Islam, Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujon and former minister Matia Chowdhury MP were present on the dais.
PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus conducted the function, while Financial Institutions Division Senior Secretary Md Ashadul Islam, Local Government Division Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed, Information Secretary KamrunNahar and Railways Additional Secretary MdMujiburRahman made presentations over the projects implemented by their respective ministries.
Japan ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki, Indonesian ambassador to Bangladesh Rina P. Soemarno, World Bank's Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan Mercy MiyangTembon and ADB country director for Bangladesh Manmohan Parkash, were among others, present.