Six-lane highway: Works halted in Sylhet due to land acquisition complexity

The construction of six-lane Dhaka-Sylhet highway is stalled due to land acquisition issues.

In four years, only 10 percent of the 21-kilometre long Brahmanbaria section of the project has been completed. However, work of the Sylhet section has not yet begun. The five-year project has one more year left.

Project officials say it is impossible to complete the rest 90 percent work in just one year. They, however, cannot say exactly when it will be completed. However, they hope to extend the project deadline to 2028.

Bangladesh is geographically at the center of sub-regional connectivity, especially with India, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and China. Considering this issue, the project is given special importance. In addition to the 5.5-meter-wide road on both sides of the main road for slow-moving traffic, there will be 66 bridges, 305 culverts, seven flyovers and and six railway overpasses. As a result, the project is expected to play a significant role in the socio-economic development of the people of Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria, Habiganj, Moulvibazar and Sylhet, according to sources concerned.

The Tk 30,000 crore project, which started in January 2021, was scheduled to be completed in December, 2025. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing 75 percent of the total cost. The government is providing the rest.

During this period, 209 kilometre long six-lane highway from Kanchpur in Dhaka to Sylhet and 60 kilometre long four-lane highway from Sylhet to Tamabil were supposed to be visible. But the project is facing various complications, including repeated design changes. Initially, the Sylhet-Tamabil highway was supposed to be four-laned.

The tender process for 13 packages of the Dhaka-Sylhet section has been completed. One of the three packages of about 60 kilometres long Sylhet-Tamabil highway has been completed. Of the 209 kilometres of Dhaka-Sylhet highway, land for the construction of 121 kilometers have not yet been acquired in Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Habiganj. In total, 10 percent of the project work has been completed.

Project officials said without acquiring land and appointing a contractor, the foundation stone was laid on October 24, 2021 to upgrade the highway to six lanes. Work began a few months later. However, the work has now come to a halt due to slow progress.

Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad blamed the land acquisition complications for the slow pace of work. He said that the land acquisition will be completed within the specified time.