By Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo
DHAKA, Dec 31, 2020 (BSS) – The country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expecting to increase by 3 to 4 percent once the fast track and mega projects of the government are completed.
A fast-track project monitoring taskforce has been overseeing the 10 fast-track projects to ensure their quick and proper implementation.
The 10 fast-track mega projects are: Padma Multipurpose Bridge, Metro Rail (MRT-6, MRT-1, MRT-5), Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Padma Rail Link, Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Rail Line, Rampal Thermal Power Plant, Payra Port First Terminal, Payra port infrastructure development, Maheshkhali Matarbari integrated infrastructure development activities and Matarbari Port Development Project.
The overall physical progress of the first phase construction of MRT Line-6 from Uttara to Agargaon is 79.62 percent and the progress of the second phase progress from Agargaon to Motijheel is 48.51 percent. The overall progress of this project is around 54.59 percent.
Construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is progressing first. The overall physical progress of this mega project till to date is over 30 percent. The project is expected to be completed in 2022-2023.
The government has sped up the implementation of Rampal Power Plant and presently over 7,000 people including 5,500 Bangladeshi workers are deployed in project site and till to date, the project has achieved 55 percent overall physical progress and around 60 percent financial progress.
The Padma Bridge Rail Link Construction Project has witnessed an overall 28.23 percent progress in implementation so far amid the adverse situation created by the Covid-19 outbreak.
The overall construction progress of Dohazari to Cox’s Bazar railway line reached 42 percent, which is expected to be completed by June in 2022.
Talking to BSS, noted economist Dr Kazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said the government has already completed the construction of the main structure of Padma Multipurpose Bridge, which is expected to open for traffic next year.
He said traffic congestion in Dhaka city will reduce and ultimately trade and tourism will be benefited immensely through completion of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-6 project.
After assuming power in 2009, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina started focusing on some important issues such as energy and power security, infrastructure development, food security, access to education, healthcare, agriculture, ICT, employment generation, women empowerment, transparency and accountability for expediting the development of the country.
Several sectors, including the communication, power and energy, industrial, ICT, education, aviation and agriculture, have been prioritized in the long-term plans for building a prosperous Bangladesh as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Bangladesh achieved a tremendous success in power sector as the present government constructed 111 new power plants having generation capacity of 18,606 MW in the last 11 years after taking time-befitting, realistic and sustainable steps.
Talking to BSS, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, said the government has brought all off-grid population under electricity coverage.
“We will be able to switch on lights in all households by “Mujib Barsha” (Mujib Year), marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” he said.
He said currently power generation capacity reaches 23,548 MW and 98 percent people were brought under power coverage. “And this has been possible due to bold and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Nasrul Hamid added.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said Bangladesh’s economy will perform better in the next year as all indicators of the country’s economy are in good position despite COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are in a good position in every index of our economy and we are making progress in all areas,” he told the journalists after the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) meeting through virtually.