The interim government has started a procedure for scrapping the costly and controversial project of constructing an elevated highway connecting Mithamain and Karimganj upazilas in Kishoreganj.
Earlier on January 17, 2023, the executive committee of National Economic Council during the past Awami League government approved the construction of the elevated road from Mithamain upazila headquarters to Morichkhali area under Karimganj upazila at an estimated cost of Tk聽5,651.13 crore.
The initiative of scrapping the project has been taken following the interim government鈥檚 aim to cut costs and protect biodiversity in the haor areas.
Mohammad Abdur Rouf, secretary of the Bridges Division under the road transport and bridges ministry, said that till April Tk 153.44 crore had been spent for the project that started on March 1, 2023.
鈥極ut of the expenditure, Tk聽150 crore was spent for land acquisition, which the deputy commissioner concerned will return to us,鈥� he said, adding that the rest Tk聽3.44 crore was spent for the other project-related purposes.
The information was disseminated at a project steering committee meeting held on Sunday as part of the concluding of the project keeping it unfinished.
At the very meeting, question was raised as to why such a costly project was taken at a time of economic crisis while the then Planning Division secretary, Satyajit Karmaker, said that the current economic crisis would likely be over by next year.
The Bangladesh Bridge Authority, under the road transport and bridges ministry, was the implementing agency of the project for constructing the 15.31-kilometre elevated highway over the water bodies in Kishoreganj by June 2028.
Since the start, the project had drawn criticism from different sections of people as the project was allegedly taken by the Awami League government, which was ousted on August 5 past year amid a mass uprising, following the wish of the party leader and former president Mohammad Abdul Hamid.
In the haor areas, after the construction of the Itna-Mithamoin-Austagram road, severe flash floods hit regularly.
Environmentalists also criticised the project for the new elevated road project, fearing negative impacts on the biodiversity in the haor areas.
In these circumstances, officials said, the decision was made to drop the unfinished project at a meeting attended by road transport and bridges adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan past month.
Mohammad Abdur Rouf, also executive director of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, said that the decision to close the project was taken to protect the biodiversity as there were criticisms against this.
He also said that they would close the project by December and only three officials would work for this project until its closure.
For the final closing, an ECNEC approval is mandatory, he added.
