If we look just two decades back, the already completed underwater expressway tunnel under the river Karnaphuli titled Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel connecting the commercial city of Chattogram to the greater south Chattogram was not even in the dreams or imagination of the general people of Bangladesh.
Today Bangabandhu Tunnel is a dream come true no matter how far-fetched the dream felt like years ago. The economic significance of the Bangabandhu Tunnel, the first ever under-river tunnel road in South Asia, is immense since it is going to connect the city of Chattogram to Cox'sbazar, Teknaf and Matarbari - three key locations of tourist attraction, proposed deep seaport activity and power generation.
Furthermore, the people from Dhaka as well as the rest of the country will get to go to Cox'sbazar or any locations of South Chattogram bypassing Chattogram City on a road trip cut off at least by 40 kilometers. It has all been possible due to bold initiatives taken by the present government under the firm and stalwart leadership of the Prime Minister Sheik Hasian who has turned her primary focus on the infrastructural development of the country with a view to achieving a robust economic growth and ensuring a better quality of life and livelihood for the general people of Bangladesh.
The Bangabandhu Tunnel will make a remarkable change in the communication between South Chattogram and the rest of the country. Although the longest sea beach at Cox'sbazar has remained the best tourist spot of the country, there are ample possibilities here to explore and develop and the completion of this tunnel road has made it easier. Once completed in 2026 as proposed, the Matarbari deep seaport will come to play a very significant role in the shipping and logistics nsector of the country and this under-river road linking Chattogram Port and upcoming Bay Terminal with Matarbari deep seaport will be vital for transportation of export-import goods on reduced cost and time between these ntwo port points located about 140 km away from each other.
Chattogram has long been termed as the Commercial Capital of the country but the people of Chattogram always used to nurture the impression that Chattogram had not been within the primary focus and attention of the government that this city of vast potential truly deserved. When this government came into power in 2008 for the second time, the Prime Minister Sheik Hasina turned Chattogram into one of her priority regions for intensive development. Today the Mirsarrai Economic Zone, the Lalkhan Bazar to Patenga Flyover, the Bayezid Link Road, Matarabari Power Plant, Banshkhali Power Plant, Matarbari Deep Seaport, the Coastal/Ring Road, the Chattogram to Cox'sbazar Railway and the Bangabandhu Tunnel will undoubtedly vouch for the Prime Minister Sheik Hasina's determination to turn Chattogram into a Commercial City in its true sense.
The ground reality is staggering and hard-founded in relation to the fact that Bangladesh, one of the smallest countries in the world with one of the densest populations, has been moving ahead with wonderous pace in the highway of development and progress in the last one and half decades in particular. The visionary and unfaltering leadership of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of the Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman also titled the Best Bengalee of the Millennium, has made it all possible by her relentless effort and unwavering strides towards a better economy during her successive three tenures at the end of which this under-developed country is now on the threshold of graduating into the prestigious group developing countries. It has been a long, relentless and arduous journey and the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has steered the country firmly towards development, progress and prosperity weathering all odds.
There is no denying the fact that in terms of unforeseen infrastructural developments across the country, the countrymen have observed one epoch- making event after another. The Padma Bridge, the Rooppur nuclear power plant, the Matarbari coal-based mega power plant, the Payra seaport, the Matarbari deep seaport, The Dhaka Expressway, the Dhaka Metro Railway, the longest flyover in Chattogram from Lalkhan Bazar to Patenga sea beach, the Bangabandhu Tunnel under Karnaphuly River, the 16-KM long four-lane coastal road in Chattogram, the Third Dhaka Airport Terminal, the rail-link on Padma Bridge connecting the country to its southern part are among the numerous infrastructural mega milestones that will speak of a Bangladesh that has not only dared to dream but also pursued these massive dreams unto their successful completion.
The sense of elation is there due to the fact that the country has been observing successful completion of one mega project after another. At the same time the sense of caution should also be there that the completion of one project invariably necessitates taking up and completion of ancillary project and until and unless the secondary projects are completed, the primary mega projects will not be able to contribute to the national economy with the fullest of their capacity.
The completion of Padma Bridge along with the expressway between Jatrabari and Bhanga point at Faridpur now calls upon the necessity of turning the two- lane national highways connecting Bhangla point with Barishal, Patualkhali Payra Port, Mongla seaport, Sundarbans into at least four-lane roads. It is the same way that reaping the most benefits from the completion of Bangabandhu Tunnel will hinge upon turning the 140 km long two-lane Chattogram-Cox'sbazar national highway into a wider four-lane road. And when it comes to completion of the ancillary projects, people do not like to adhere to the proverb: "Better late than never"; they would love to cling to: "The sooner, the better."
For consistent development and progress in a country, the continuation of overall implementation process is the most crucial part and it has to be maintained by all necessary means. It has been proved time and again that he current government is focused on as well as committed to continuing and implementing the ongoing and upcoming infrastructural projects not only in communication but also in shipping, logistics, digitalization, modernization and most importantly creating an atmosphere conducive to considerable foreign investment and all this collective and coordinated effort will lead to a better, stronger and more consistent economic growth.
With Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government at the helm of the country steering it towards a brighter future in terms of a better economy and a better quality of life, the continuation of the ongoing development is essential to fulfill the dream of Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rahman of turning Bangladesh into "Sonar Bangla".
The writer is president of Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association and Chairman, Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Association and Qns Global Group
