Work on to make Bayezid Bostami Road a model one
o was taken from in front of the Rubi Gate on Monday. Photo: Zobaer Hossain Sikder
Widening of Bayezid Bostami Road, a busy road connecting Sholoshahar and Oxygen intersections, is going on in full swing. Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) is implementing the Tk 24.93 crore project to develop the 4.5km road as a model one. The 24-foot road would be widened up to 92 feet, including a four-foot road median with walkways and drains on both the sides, CDA sources said. A green patch would also be developed in the shape of a park on both the sides of the road, they said. The busy road running through Bayezid Bostami industrial area had been under tremendous pressure of vehicular movement as several thousand vehicles, including trucks, city service buses and other private transports, ply it round the clock. Besides, the road also served as a part of both Chittagong-Hathazari-Fatikchhari-Khagrachhari Road and Chittagong-Hathazari-Raozan-Rangamati Road till the bus station of inter-district buses was shifted to Oxygen intersection. The government approved the CDA proposal for widening the road to facilitate smooth movement of vehicles on August 6 in 2008 to be completed by June 2010. But, 10 months of the completion period of two years elapsed, due to complication over land acquisition, before CDA started implementing the project on June 4 this year. Sources said before formation of CDA, Public Works Department (PWD) acquired land for expanding the road up to 100 feet. But, PWD rehabilitated some affected families due to construction of structures of Chittagong Medical College on some 88 kathas of land along the east side of Bayezid Bostami Road stretching from Mayorergoli to Textile Mills gate in the mid fifties. In the meantime, CDA and PWD at a meeting reached an understanding to rehabilitate the affected families on PWD land within a month, said the sources. “Having ten months already lost we are working round the clock and with around 40 per cent of the work done we expect to complete the project within the scheduled time of June next year,” said Project Director Engineer Mahfuzur Rahman. There would be two 24-foot lanes and a four-foot road median to be decorated with pointing work of machine-made bricks. The road would have a 10-foot walkway and a 10-foot drain covered with slabs on each side. The green patch would be developed beside the walkways and drains while there would be sitting arrangements at regular intervals, Mahfuz said. Dr Monwarul Haq Shamim, a frequenter of the road, said there is no dug-out mud kept in heaps to hinder movement of pedestrians or vehicles as usually seen beside under-construction roads. Sources at CDA said there was a condition in the tender that all the earth (approximate 11.25 lakh cft) to be dug out for the work must be removed immediately, causing no inconvenience to the public. While talking to this correspondent CDA Chairman Abdus Salam said, “We are developing the road as a model road that would provide scope to take a stroll on the walkway and open space beside it.” “If it makes a success we would go for developing more such roads in the city,” he added. He said, “Timely implementation of the project even after loss of around one year would prove that if there are sincerity and efforts everything can be made possible.” “It would also prove that people can be served better if honest politicians are put in executive works,” said the CDA chairman who is also a leader of Chittagong city Awami League.
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