New road spurs economic activities in Rangamati

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An important road constructed in Rangamati under an ADB-aided project has spurred economic activities in Kaptai and Sadar upazilas, as over 50,000 people now can easily send their agricultural produces to their nearby markets, reports UNB.
The Jhagrabil Rangamati via Baradam Upazila Road, a component under the Chittagong Hill Tracts Rural Development Project, was implemented by Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) at a cost of Tk 322.4 million.
The work on the 18.36- km road covering three unions with seven bridges, 16 culverts and growth centres and hat bazars ended in June 2009. ADB provided 80 per cent of the expenditure while the rest came from the government.
The road reduced the distance between the two upazilas by nearly 20 kilometres and expanded the scope for development of tourism, as it has been constructed along the Kaptai Lake having a panoramic view.
According to local people, the value of land in the area has already increased by four to five times. With the completion of the road, the household income of rural communities, mostly the indigenous people, in the project area has increased as many people have got jobs in transport and other sectors.
While visiting the new road with an ADB team recently, project director Md Mokbul Hossain told journalists that local farmers are now enthusiastic to grow more crops for easier access to marketing of their agricultural produces and poultry outputs, and availability of inputs at lower transportation cost. Their access to social services has also improved.
ADB Country Director Paul J Heytens and senior project implementation officer of ADB Md Rafiqul Islam were with the ADB team.