COX'S BAZAR, Sept 27: The Government of Bangladesh has decided to build a 230-kilometre-long four-lane marine drive from Mirsarai of Chittagong district up to Cox's Bazar district. In this connection, an agreement is likely to be signed between China and Bangladesh during the upcoming visit by the Chinese President Xi Jinping to Bangladesh on October 14 next.
The project is a luxurious one and may involve a huge amount of money, for which the Government of Bangladesh has already started talks with the Chinese side. If the project is completed, the communication to Sonadia and Chittagong ports will be hassle-free, the tourism sector of the country will a get a boost, coal-fired power plants will be developed, and the socio-economic dimension of the entire region would experience a progress.
Sources at the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) said, as per the plan, the marine drive will start from Muhury coastal area of Mirsarai upazila in Chittagong district and cross through Chittagong Naval Academy-proposed new tunnel- Chatury-Choumuhony via Banshkhali-Pekua-Choufaldandi-Khurushkul and finally connect Kalatali marine drive in Cox's Bazar town.
The sources further said, the 230-km-long marine drive, with the height of 15 feet from the ground level, will have its 80 km in Chittagong portion and 150 km in Cox's Bazar portion. It will connect another 80-km-long marine drive to be constructed from Cox's Bazar up to Sabrang of Teknaf upazila in the district. Of the total 230-km length, a new embankment on 9-km portion between Kumira and Bhatiari in Chittagong district will have to be built. The total project implementation cost might exceed Tk 25,000 crore, said sources.
The sources added, the plan of the new marine drive was taken on 2013-'14 fiscal and the Bangladesh Government tried to find out donor in the project. Recently, the Chinese Government expressed its eagerness to fund the project under Government to Government (G2G) system. In this connection, the Chinese President is likely to visit Bangladesh and then a deal between the governments is expected to be signed.
Meanwhile, during a recent visit in Cox's Bazar, Minister of Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader, MP, said, to enrich the socio-economic condition of the coastal area people through exploring its vast tourism potentials, the government took the decision to build the marine drive.
Executive Engineer of Cox's Bazar RHD Ranapriya Barua said, "The Bangladesh Government is talking with the Chinese Government in signing an accord to build the marine drive. We hope that the deal would be inked and the works would start consequently."
It is mentionable that, the construction work of the first marine drive here from Kalatali of Cox's Bazar town up to Teknaf upazila was started in 1993 by the Bangladesh Army's 17 Engineering Construction Battalion. Facing different obstacles including fund constraint and unfavourable weather, the drive had to be completed in three phases.
The work in the first phase was completed in 2008, but due to fund related difficulties, an unexpected delay surfaced in the second phase's work in 2008-'09 fiscal. But, after taking power in 2009, the-then Awami League government completed the 48-km-long second phase's work from Inani up to Shilkhali in October of 2015.
At present, the work of the third phase is likely to be completed. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the marine drive in March of the next year.
