The federal government plans to rent the Tk450 crore resort or rest dwelling within the Karnaphuli Tunnel service dwelling to the non-public sector, as it has remained unused since its completion in June this year.
The Karnaphuli Tunnel has grew to was out to be a failed finishing up, as its costs outweigh its earnings. The federal government is shedding over Tk26 lakh day-to-day for the tunnel, per the Bangladesh Bridge Authority.
“We draw to give up the Provider Home Resort to the non-public sector. Tenders will be invited quickly. Leasing these bungalows to a tourism-centered organisation would possibly perhaps wait on minimise the government’s losses,” stated Abul Kalam Azad, superintending engineer at the tunnel’s Patenga region feature of job, which is operated by the Bridge Authority.
The resort, fragment of the Tk10,690 crore tunnel finishing up, entails 30 bungalows, one of which is a VVIP facility designed for faded high minister Sheikh Hasina’s vacation, per the Bridges Division.
A senior legitimate of the Bridges Division, talking anonymously, urged TBS, “The VVIP bungalow used to be built with tricks of the faded high minister. It used to be supposed for her or high ministerial-stage company. Assorted bungalows were built for the current public. Then as soon as more, Hasina fled the country in early August before the inauguration of the resort.”
Civil society and locals ogle the entire finishing up as a vogue of plundering say funds within the guise of development.
Mainul Islam, a retired economics professor at Chittagong College, urged TBS, “The payment of this tunnel can no longer be recovered within the following 8-10 years. But if the Marine Power toll road in Cox’s Bazar is prolonged to Chattogram city, the tunnel will be handy within the lengthy speed. But the resort is entirely unnecessary and looks designed to facilitate the misappropriation of funds.”
All the design by a consult with to the resort on December 3, TBS observed participants of the Ansar Battalion guarding the facilities, including the VVIP bungalow. Loads of workers were also seen conducting repairs work on the bungalows. A total of 80 Ansar personnel were deployed to acquire the institution.
On situation of anonymity, Ansar personnel and repairs workers stated that the bungalows are equipped with say-of-the-art work furniture and facilities.
Whereas senior officials of the Bridge Authority and rather a good deal of vital say officials and company as soon as in a whereas consult with, the entire rest dwelling dwelling remains nearly empty.
There are no obvious directions yet on when this would also be opened to the public, and no person is at the moment allowed to enter with out permission from the Bridge Authority, they stated.
Essentially based on locals, around 200 residents within the finishing up dwelling previously earned their livelihood by fishing and farm animals farming. Then as soon as more, this ability that of this finishing up, they’ve been compelled to vacate the dwelling and look alternative sources of profits.
Karnaphuli Tunnel – a white elephant
The tunnel runs beneath the Karnaphuli River in southeastern Chattogram. Its northern terminate is in Patenga, near Chattogram port and Shah Amanat airport, whereas the southern terminate is in Anwara upazila, connecting to southern Chattogram.
No subject the hefty Tk10,690 crore building payment, which contains a foreign loan of $60.77 million, the tunnel, opened in 2023, now sees life like day-to-day website visitors of fewer than 4,000 automobiles – no longer up to 1-fourth of the projections made earlier.
This has resulted in a day-to-day income of around Tk10.50 lakh, against an operational payment of Tk37.44 lakh, which manner the toll profits covers no longer up to 1-third of the bills.
Essentially based on the Bridge Authority, which operates the tunnel, over 14.97 lakh automobiles comprise passe the tunnel from its inauguration on 28 October last year to Innovative Organization 17 November this year, generating a total income of Tk40.9 crore.
Then as soon as more, the feasibility survey, performed by China Communications Constructing Company (CCCC) in 2013, projected an preliminary opening in 2017 with an estimated day-to-day website visitors of 17,374 automobiles, rising to twenty,719 by 2020 and 28,305 by 2025.
Furthermore, concerns had been raised relating to a doable war of interest, as CCCC served as both the survey’s conductor and the tunnel’s constructor.
Specialists think that enforcing such an extraordinarily ambitious and unsuitable finishing up with out correct form feasibility analysis has left the government careworn with debt and excessive costs.
Dr Shamsul Hoque, a transportation skilled and professor at the Bangladesh College of Engineering and Technology (Buet), urged TBS, “A noteworthy more affordable alternative would had been to acquire a suspension bridge. Japan, China and South Korea comprise built suspension bridges over two kilometres lengthy. But we dawdle within the help of. Instead, the costly and much less efficient finishing up used to be promoted as Southeast Asia’s first underwater tunnel.”
