Dhaka: Bangladesh joins today the most modern land-link technology when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the country’s first expressway, one of the mega-projects of her ruling Awami League government, just ahead of the birthday centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The people of 22 districts in the country’s south and southwestern region, including Munshiganj, are gripped with joy as they will be directly benefited from the most modern expressway. Amazing hours cut of travel time is a gift to the people just ahead of Bangabandhu’s birthday on 17 March as it would make their lives comfortable and boost business, said sources in the Awami League. It will take only less than an hour to go to Mawa, they said.
The country’s first ever Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway was launched by the premier this morning by video-conferencing from her official residence Ganabhaban.
Businessman Rabiul Hasan told the daily sun “it is the best gift for us as we can now travel faster and comfortably, besides quick transportation of goods will boost our business.”
“I am excited to learn that the expressway will benefit me so much,” said fashion designer Munni Akhter, adding that she has to travel frequently to her sources of materials in remote villages. “This will make journeys a holiday ride now, while also benefit us economically.”
The expressway, having two service lanes, five flyovers, 19 underpasses, two interchanges, four railway over-bridges, four large bridges, 25 small bridges and 54 culverts, was constructed to ensure uninterrupted movement of vehicles with the southern parts of the country.
The high-speed superhighway will contribute to the national economy by boosting trade and commerce in the country as it will significantly improve the connectivity between Dhaka city and the entire Khulna and Barishal divisions and parts of Dhaka division.
Commuters can get the full advantage of the expressway once the 6.15-km Padma Bridge is completed as it will connect the two parts — 35-km Jatrabari intersection to Mawa and 20-km Panchar to Bhanga -– of the expressway.
The government has planned to open the country’s longest bridge for traffic by June 2021.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said earlier that she envisions of turing the two sides of the Padma bridge into a modern city like Hong Kong.
Now, the expressway which was completed three months before the stipulated time of June 2020 opened on the eve of the ‘Mujib Borsho’ marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana would go to Tungipara this month using this expressway.
It now takes 5 to 7 hours to reach Faridpur from Dhaka using the two-lane road, which is periled with nagging traffic congestions at different points, and ferries in Mawa.
But the journey will not needlessly be longer because of traffic gridlock and slow-moving vehicles as the expressway was constructed with controlled access.
Two service lanes are kept on both sides of the expressway for slow-moving vehicles so that speedy vehicles can move uninterruptedly.
The expressway was constructed at a cost of Tk 11,0030.90 million considering the next 20-year traffic volume on the highway, which will be part of the Asian Highway, connecting Dhaka and Kolkata through the Benapole border and making international journey more comfortable.
The Roads and Highways Department and 24 Engineer Brigade of the Bangladesh Army under the supervision of the Road Transport and Highways Division implemented the expressway project that was approved by Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in 2016.
