Chinese firm may get feasibility study job for Karnaphuli tunnel

The ambitious project of constructing a tunnel under the Karnaphuli river will be placed before the cabinet purchase committee today (Wednesday) to get its nod for carrying out a feasibility study. The Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) has undertaken the project in 2010 for the Tk 20 billion multi-lane Karnaphuli tunnel project to boost road linkage between Chittagong and the fast-booming resort town of Cox's Bazar. Officials said if the cabinet committee on purchase approves the scheme, Chinese consulting firm 4C is likely to get the feasibility study work at a cost of Tk 120 million. They said the authorities invited the bid March last year for conducting the study after they got assurance of fund from the Kuwait government. The consulting firm 4C (Chinese Communication Construction Company) will, however, conduct the feasibility study under government funding. The move to construct a tunnel beneath the river Karnaphuli is a reflection of the government's efforts to get linked with China to connect Chittagong with the southern Chinese city of Kunming via Myanmar, experts said. They said bulk of goods and traffic going to and from southern Bangladesh, Myanmar and China are expected to pass through the tunnel as the existing bridges over the Karnaphuli will not be able to handle the volume in the future.