PM inaugurates Bangabandhu Tunnel

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Bangabandhu Tunnel at Patenga in Chattogram at 11:42 am today.

A prayer was offered after the inauguration of the tunnel at the Patenga end.

After that, the PM travelled through the tunnel to join a rally organised by Chattogram South District unit of AL at Anwara upazila at the south end.

Awami League Presidium Member Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud, Minister for Land Affairs Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury and AL leader Motia Chowdhury were present at the programme among others.

In terms of connecting two regions of the country, the 3.32km tunnel is the second "dream scheme" in road transport sector after the Padma Bridge. The tunnel has been built following the "one city two towns" model like Shanghai in China.

The tunnel connects the Chattogram port city on the north end of the Karnaphuli with Anwara upazila on the south of the river.

The Tunnel will yield the Financial and Economic Internal Rates of Return (IRR) at 6.19% and 12.49%, respectively. It is forecasted to boost Bangladesh's GDP by 0.166%.

The main tunnel extends for 3.32 kilometers, featuring two four-lane tubes, each spanning 2.45 kilometers. Complementing this, two 5.35 km link roads at the tunnel's western and eastern termini, along with a 727-meter flyover at the Anwara end, are expected to elevate regional connectivity. The tunnel will allow vehicles to run at a maximum speed of 80 km. Impressively, the tunnel resides at depths ranging from 18 to 31 meters beneath the Karnaphuli River.

This project, supported by the governments of Bangladesh and China, received a total investment of Tk 10,689.71 crore. The Bangladesh government is providing BDT 4,619.70 crore in financing, with the remaining BDT 6,070.01 crore being funded by the Exim Bank of China. The China Communication and Construction Company Limited (CCCC) is responsible for the tunnel's construction. Bangladesh government envisions a 'One City Two Towns' concept, akin to Shanghai's, on both banks of the Karnaphuli River.