Sylhet: Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir on Sunday said the government is planning major upgrades to road and rail connectivity in Sylhet including construction of six-lane highways to Dhaka and Chattogram and the introduction of a double-gauge railway line. The Minister provided this information while speaking to reporters after attending an iftar gathering organized by Sylhet Press Club at a city hotel on Saturday.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the land acquisition for the Sylhet-Dhaka six-lane highway will be completed soon, with construction work set to commence in full swing within the next two to two and a half months. The Minister mentioned that work on the Sylhet-Chattogram six-lane highway will begin concurrently, with an aim to complete the projects as planned.
A significant portion of the Sylhet-Chattogram highway overlaps with the Sylhet-Dhaka six-lane route. The Minister noted that a project proposal for the connecting section of the two highways will be submitted to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for approval by the relevant ministry.
Additionally, a project proposal is in preparation to install a Sylhet-Dhaka double gauge railway line. This development is expected to reduce travel time between Sylhet and Dhaka to approximately three to three and a half hours once implemented.