Home
+
Published : 22 Sep 2015, 11:28 PM
She ordered the list during an Executive Committee meeting of the National Economic Council that endorsed the excavation of a 100-foot canal on both sides of the Kuril-Purbachal Link Road (extending from Kuril to the Balu River).
Senior officials present at the meeting informed bdnews24.com of the directive with confirmation being provided by officials at the Prime Minister’s Office.
None of them, however, were willing to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media about the matter.
When bdnews24.com reached him, Planning Secretary Md Shafiqul Azam skirted the issue, saying it would be worthwhile to get in touch with others.
The construction of the canal from Kuril flyover to the new town project, to be executed by RAJUK, was expected to cost Tk 55.3 billion.
Several dailies, whose owners have housing ventures, carried reports expressing doubts about the project’s feasibility.
Dainik Kaler Kantho, owned by the Bashundhara Group, and Bangladesh Pratidin described the project as “adventurous” and “unreal”.
An official present at the meeting said the prime minister wanted the project to be executed by removing all obstacles put up by illegal land grabbers and other vested interests.
“Those associated with this project must work with courage. Even if no one else is with them, they can rest assured that their prime minister is with them,” the official quoted Hasina as saying.
Earlier, too, the prime minister had given instructions to start the excavation without pandering to the interests of real estate developers such as Jamuna Group and Bashundhara.
At the Cabinet meeting on Aug 25, she said, stressing the need for it, that the canal would be linked with Balu River.
On Sep 18, Hasina branded the housing developers building on encroached plots as “land sharks” and asked land ministry officials to be “firm” in dealing them.
On Dec 28, she said at a meeting with officials of the housing and public works ministry that the Jamuna and Bashundhara were trying to construct box culverts instead of creating a lake.
“There will be no box culverts,” she had made it clear. “There will be lakes, open lakes. They can build bridges if needed. They are not short on money.”
In Tuesday’s meeting as well, she raised the issue of land grabbing by housing companies.
“They have usurped many people’s land. They have made many weep. When people get the taste of money, they don’t care for others,” the official quoted the prime minister as saying.
Emphasising the importance of canals, she said they were once seen alongside most roads and their subsequent reclamation was responsible for waterlogging.
The cancellation of a 100-plot project at Nikunja and the creation of a water body there had put an end to the inundation of the runway at the airport, she said.
