Dhaka-Sylhet Highway: Extension work delayed as 22 schools await relocation

At least 22 government primary schools in six districts will be affected by the widening of the Dhaka-Sylhet highway, a project being implemented by the Roads and Highways Department (RHD).

During the past year, the project management continued negotiations with the local authorities regarding the transfer of schools for the continuation of project works.

But nothing happened, resulting in a delay in the implementation of the project worth Tk 16,918.59 crore.

This is not the only RZS project facing problems in obtaining land from government agencies, in addition to already existing problems with private land, RZS officials said.

In connection with this situation, the Department of Road Transport and Highways held an inter-ministerial meeting yesterday to resolve the land acquisition issues faced by the six RZS projects.

Sources said the meeting was attended by representatives of various ministries and departments, including ministries of railways, agriculture, power and finance under the chairmanship of Ehsanul Hoque, senior secretary of the department.

However, according to them, there was no representative of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education or the Directorate of Primary Education.

“The meeting was fruitful and we hope the complications will be resolved soon,” RHD Chief Engineer Syed Moinul Hasan told The Daily Star after the meeting.

In February 2021, Ecnec approved a Tk 16,918.59 crore project to convert the Dhaka-Sylhet highway into a four-lane highway with service lanes on both sides.

Project managers have hired contractors for the work, but are facing challenges because they have not yet acquired most of the land, project officials said.

The expansion works will affect at least 22 primary schools. Of them, five schools will be slightly affected, that is, boundary walls or children’s playgrounds will be affected, but not educational activities, according to the project document.

However, this will affect the classrooms of 17 other schools, so the school buildings must be moved, the report said.

“We have been talking to the upazila primary education officer and the district primary education officers of these areas for over a year but to no avail,” said a project official.

It was decided to hold another meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and the Department of Primary Education, as their representatives were not present at yesterday’s meeting, the sources of the meeting said.

The project also faced problems in acquiring land from Power Grid Company Ltd in Narsingdi and Srihatto Economic Zone. All parties agreed to resolve the issue, sources at the meeting also said.

Another project facing land-related issues is the SASEC-2 road connectivity project, under which the 190-km road from Elenga in Tangail to Rangpur will be converted into a four-lane highway with service roads.

The project is having trouble acquiring land from the Bangladesh Applied Nutrition Research and Training Institute in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur.

Four other projects that have faced similar challenges are the Itahola-Matkola-Kadiati road widening project; Nayapara-Araihazar-Narsingdi-Raipura road widening project; Kumargao-Badhagat-Bimanbandar road widening project; and the Ashuganj-Sarail-Dharkhar-Akhaura River Port Road Expansion Project.