Dhaka: State Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Md. Razib Ahsan today called on the development project stakeholders to implement the works in such a manner that there would be no dispute about the project and maintain full transparency. “All major projects in the country shall must be implemented in a manner that is effective, visually sound and beneficial for the people, maintaining transparency while remaining free from controversies,” he said.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, delivering the special guest’s speech, Razib made the remarks at a stakeholder consultation workshop on the proposed Dhaka East-West Elevated Expressway (DEWEE) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project. The workshop was held at Ballroom-2 of Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the capital at noon.
The state minister emphasized that DEWEE is not merely a road construction project but a strategic initiative for urban management and economic advancement. He noted that vehicles from the eastern and southwestern districts of the country currently have to endure hours of traffic congestion at the entry points to Dhaka, particularly on the Mayor Hanif Flyover. He asserted that this project would play a significant role in alleviating such severe congestion.
Highlighting the present reality of Dhaka city, Razib pointed out that traffic jams are causing considerable losses in time, fuel, and productivity daily. To address these challenges, he stated it is necessary to develop an efficient, modern, and high-speed transport infrastructure, which the proposed expressway project is set to feature.
Razib also mentioned that the proposed elevated expressway, approximately 39 kilometers in length, will connect the eastern and western parts of Dhaka, bringing new momentum to urban mobility. Once implemented, it is expected to significantly reduce travel time and increase vehicle speed manifold. Furthermore, he stressed that the project would play a crucial role in goods transportation and intercity connectivity.
Referring to challenges in implementing large projects in Bangladesh, Razib acknowledged that such projects often face issues like lack of coordination among ministries, delays in execution, and complications in land acquisition, which tend to extend project timelines and increase unnecessary costs. He urged experts from different sectors to ensure land acquisition is completed within the stipulated timeframe to prevent cost escalation.
The workshop was organized in joint collaboration with the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and the Bangladesh Bridge Authority. Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Secretary of Bridges Division, presided over the workshop. Officials from concerned and project implementation-related ministries and offices, along with academicians and project engineers, were present at the event.
Mohammad Abdur Rouf expressed gratitude to the participants, while earlier, chief engineer of the DEWEE project, Kazi Ferdous Alam, delivered the welcome speech and presented a visual overview of the project. Gopala Nadim Pali, the team leader of the project, provided a detailed briefing on the project.