Govt to establish multi-mode communication in current tenure

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The government with a firm vision has taken up a plan to put in place a people-oriented, safe, cost effective, environment friendly, sustainable and a multi-dimensional communication system in the country within its five year tenure, reports BSS.
"Our mission is to develop a people-oriented, safe, cost effective, multi-dimensional, environment friendly and sustainable, efficient communication system in the country and our vision is to see the country's economic growth rises more quickly," Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain told the news agency Thursday.
He also explained the extent of development that had taken place in the communication sector over the last one year since the present government came to power and also the follow-up plans for the years to come to build a smooth transport infrastructure in the country.
The minister said the government was making all-out efforts to launch the construction work of the Padma Bridge by September this year and complete it by December in 2013.
He said two bridges-Bangabandhu Bridge and Padma Bridge-would remain as symbols of development of Awami League (AL) government and manifestation of the fulfillment of our election pledges to the people.
Mr Hossain said Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the 6.15 kilometre Padma Bridge on July 4, 2001. But the project made no headway during the last seven years. The present government in its first cabinet meeting on purchase approved the appointment of international consultant for the Padma Bridge, he said.
Consultant had already prepared the final design of the project and its estimated cost of US dollar 2.6 billion for which donor agencies have shown their keen interest to finance, he added.
Mr Hossain said that the government had also taken preliminary steps for constructing the second bridge on the Padma River at Paturia-Goalanda point, sensing the importance of smooth communication between the country's south and western region.
To carry goods from Mongla Port to Barisal, a 1550-metre long bridge would be constructed at Bikutia, he said.
An eight-kilometre toll-connecting approach road would be constructed from Chashara, Narayanganj to Mokhtarpur, Munsiganj to connect Dhaka with the country's western part, he added.
The minister said that the cabinet committee had approved three expressway projects and metro-rail in the city to resolve the traffic problems which became a challenging task for the government when it came to power.
The PM in her first meeting with the communications ministry officials gave them a guideline to take project for elevated expressway and metro- rail to resolve the traffic problem, he said.
The Dhaka-Chittagong highway, the main economic lifeline of the country, would be made a four-lane expanded road at a cost of Tk 23 billion. It would make the communication with the port city easy, safe and fast, he added.
"The two-way national highway now carries goods of around Tk 40 billion annually, but about 400 to 600 people die every year in accidents. The cabinet has already approved Tk 16.55 billion for 192.3 kilometre road and work orders have been issued, he said.
He expressed his hope that the construction work of the highway would start this month and was expected to complete by 2013, which would them make an immense contribution to the economic development of the country.