In his speech at the inauguration ceremony, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan stated, “Compared to neighboring countries, the cost of road construction in our country is excessively high. Road construction is a major area of corruption. By reducing corruption and with proper oversight by our engineers, it is possible to cut construction costs by 20 to 30 percent.” He further emphasized, “We need to build such bypasses in Dhaka to relieve major cities from traffic congestion. We must reduce road construction costs and improve technology to ensure roads do not deteriorate year after year.”
He stressed the need to reduce dependency on roads, saying, “We must decrease our reliance on roads and increase the use of railways, waterways, and air transport, which we have neglected in the past. The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges has now initiated a multi-level plan to consider roads, railways, and waterways collectively. We will prioritize the mode of transport most suitable for each area. Land acquisition is a lengthy and costly process, and we must move away from it.”
The event was attended by Senior Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division Md. Ehsanul Haque, Dhaka Divisional Commissioner and Gazipur City Corporation Administrator Sharf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Gazipur District Administrator Nafisa Arefin, Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dr. Nazmul Karim Khan, and other local and foreign project officials.
This 18-kilometer section is the first phase of the 48-kilometer-long expressway project, connecting the Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet, Purbachal Expressway, Dhaka-Mymensingh, and Dhaka-Tangail highways. The opening of this section will facilitate faster movement of goods vehicles and reduce traffic congestion and accident risks in Dhaka city.
