Plan drawn up to build eight satellite towns around Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Wednesday the government had drawn up a plan to build eight satellite towns around Dhaka city to ease the pressure of population, according to an online news portal.

She was replying to a question in parliament from ruling party lawmaker Benazir Ahmad.

The PM said, "Projects have already been undertaken for building four satellite towns around Dhaka on a PPP basis."

The four projects are Bangshi-Dhamrai Satellite town development, Dhaleswari-Singair Satellite town development, Ichhamati-Sirajdikhan Satellite town development and Savar satellite town high-rise apartment construction. Work on implementing the projects on the PPP basis was going on, she said.

Besides, the Housing and Public Works Ministry would set up four satellite cities-two on the southern and northern sides of Dhaka and two on the western and southern sides of Dhaka.

BSS adds: Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina said on Wednesday her government wanted to control traffic signaling digitally to ease traffic jams in the capital.

"We want to control traffic in Dhaka city electronically and digitally…some parts of the capital have already been brought under such a system and if the system is introduced in rest of the parts, the sufferings of the people will be reduced to a great extent," she said.

The Prime Minister was replying to a supplementary question raised by Jatiya Party lawmaker Kazi Feroz Rashid in the House during her question-answer session with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.