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Published : 14 Jul 2015, 06:49 PM
She also inaugurated two other road projects, and a ship and two ferries of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) from Ganabhaban.
Hasina described these development projects as her government’s ‘Eid gift’ to the people of Bangladesh.
Among the projects, the 33-kilometre (km) Thanchi-Alikadam Road in Bandarban was constructed at a cost of Tk 1.17 billion under army supervision.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said, it was the country’s highest road, located at nearly 2,500 feet above sea level.
At the video conference, the prime minister hoped that the development of road infrastructure would ‘speed up’ all aspects of people’s development in the hull tracts including education and health.
She said residential facilities would be added to schools and colleges in the hill tracts for the benefit of the students.
She also announced plans to establish a government school and college in every upazila of the country.
The prime minister said the Awami League government had undertaken ‘elaborate’ programmes to develop the Chittagong Hill Tracts following the Peace Accord to end the violent politics in the area.
She extolled the scenic beauty of the hill tracts and hoped to visit Alikadam in future.
State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing and others joined the video conference with the prime minister from Bandarban Deputy Commissioner’s Office.
At the conference, the PM also inaugurated the project to upgrade a 6-km highway in Rangpur to four-lane and the 10.5-km Ashulia-Birulia road and a bridge.
“Rangpur had always been neglected. It is the Awami League government that has given relief to the people of Monga,” she said.
At the end, Hasina inaugurated the BIWTC’s passenger ship MV Madhumati and ferries Bhasha Sainik Golam Maula Row-Row Ferry and Kusumkali.
Sheikh Hasina referred to various government initiatives to popularise the waterways because of its scope of transporting goods and people at a low cost.
“We have revived the waterways,” she said.
She recalled the incidents of burning buses, trains and launches during the three-month long blockade early this year.
“The people could have returned to their homes (during Eid) more smoothly if the buses, trains and launches were not burnt in such a way,” she said.
