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Dhaka's metro route still undecided
Dhaka's metro route still undecided
Dhaka, Sept 12 (bdnews24.com) – Pressured by the Japanese aid agency's month-long deadline, the prime minister has held a meeting on Dhaka's metro route, but it ended inconclusively.
One of the participants, Jamilur Reza Choudhury, a BUET professor who has been involved in Dhaka City's planning, expressed his hope that a decision would be taken on Tuesday in the meeting between the finance minister and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Japan has said that it is ready to give $1.7 billion as loans for Dhaka's metro system, but stipulated that it would require the government's clearance within a month. In that case, the agency's chief said on Monday the funds would be made available by January next year.
The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line-6 project links Pallabi with Motijheel via Bijoy Sarani, which is adjacent to the old airport. The Air Force opposed that design and suggested changing the route from Pallabi to Khamarbarhi at Farmgate and Khamarbarhi to Motijheel to avoid Bijoy Sarani.
Finance minister A M A Muhith told journalists on Aug 10 that the drawing would be published after a meeting with the prime minister as the defence forces had objected to the present drawing.
Muhith, prime minister's advisor Mashiur Rahman, Jamilur Reza Chowdhury and three secretaries and the air chief, Air Force chief Shah Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, were present at Monday's meeting with the prime minister.
Asked about the project's progress, the project's technical advisor Professor Jamilur Reza said, "No solution has been finalised yet."
He said, "The route will be from Uttara to Sayedabad via Pallabi. It was planned that the flyover will go to Farmgate from Bijoy Sharani via Chandrima Udyan. But Bangladesh Air Force objected to the route via Bijoy Sharani. They want it to go to Farmgate via Khamarbarhi. But JICA expressed reservations as it would then result in a sharp turn."
JICA, which is funding the project, informed the communications minister on Monday that the funds available now could be lost if the government failed to decide within a month.
The finance minister, however, had said on Aug 10, that the design would have to be finalised within three months.
Jamilur Reza said about the meeting, "The air force proposed using open spaces of the parliament for the project
The meeting shot down the proposal.
On condition of anonymity, a secretary, also present at the meeting, told bdnews24.com, "The prime minister vented her frustration over the issue. She said 'It does not seem that the project has people's welfare as its top priority'."
On Mar 7, the cabinet approved a proposal, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line-6 under Strategic Transport Plan (STP), to rid Dhaka of traffic jam
Under the transport plan, a flyover will be constructed from Uttara to Bijoy Sharani via Pallabi and mono-rail from Farmgate to Saidabad, which are expected to be completed within 2013.
http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=205873&cid=4
Dhaka's metro route still undecided
Mon, Sep 12th, 2011 8:32 pm BdST
Dhaka, Sept 12 (bdnews24.com) – Pressured by the Japanese aid agency's month-long deadline, the prime minister has held a meeting on Dhaka's metro route, but it ended inconclusively.
One of the participants, Jamilur Reza Choudhury, a BUET professor who has been involved in Dhaka City's planning, expressed his hope that a decision would be taken on Tuesday in the meeting between the finance minister and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Japan has said that it is ready to give $1.7 billion as loans for Dhaka's metro system, but stipulated that it would require the government's clearance within a month. In that case, the agency's chief said on Monday the funds would be made available by January next year.
The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line-6 project links Pallabi with Motijheel via Bijoy Sarani, which is adjacent to the old airport. The Air Force opposed that design and suggested changing the route from Pallabi to Khamarbarhi at Farmgate and Khamarbarhi to Motijheel to avoid Bijoy Sarani.
Finance minister A M A Muhith told journalists on Aug 10 that the drawing would be published after a meeting with the prime minister as the defence forces had objected to the present drawing.
Muhith, prime minister's advisor Mashiur Rahman, Jamilur Reza Chowdhury and three secretaries and the air chief, Air Force chief Shah Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, were present at Monday's meeting with the prime minister.
Asked about the project's progress, the project's technical advisor Professor Jamilur Reza said, "No solution has been finalised yet."
He said, "The route will be from Uttara to Sayedabad via Pallabi. It was planned that the flyover will go to Farmgate from Bijoy Sharani via Chandrima Udyan. But Bangladesh Air Force objected to the route via Bijoy Sharani. They want it to go to Farmgate via Khamarbarhi. But JICA expressed reservations as it would then result in a sharp turn."
JICA, which is funding the project, informed the communications minister on Monday that the funds available now could be lost if the government failed to decide within a month.
The finance minister, however, had said on Aug 10, that the design would have to be finalised within three months.
Jamilur Reza said about the meeting, "The air force proposed using open spaces of the parliament for the project
The meeting shot down the proposal.
On condition of anonymity, a secretary, also present at the meeting, told bdnews24.com, "The prime minister vented her frustration over the issue. She said 'It does not seem that the project has people's welfare as its top priority'."
On Mar 7, the cabinet approved a proposal, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line-6 under Strategic Transport Plan (STP), to rid Dhaka of traffic jam
Under the transport plan, a flyover will be constructed from Uttara to Bijoy Sharani via Pallabi and mono-rail from Farmgate to Saidabad, which are expected to be completed within 2013.
http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=205873&cid=4
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