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PM opens Khilgaon flyover

Says plan on to construct elevated expressway, underground milway

Staff Correspondent
A long cherished dfearp of the city dwellers came true as Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday opened the country's second and biggest flyover at the busy khilgaon road-rail intersection in a majorstep towards easing the nagging traffic congestion in the capital.
"Not only the flyovers, we have a
plan to construct elevated expressway and underground railway to improve the communication system in Dhaka. Flyover is part of thal plan," she said while opening the Khilgaon flyover in the afternoon.
People of all walks of life braving torrential rains converged al the site and its adjoining areas to witness tiie opening of the flyover, which also created immense sufferings to
local people during its construction period.
The 1.9-kilomelre-long and 14-meire wide flyover was constructed at a cost of Tk 81.75 crore, including expenses for land acquisition and compensation lo the affected people.The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) built it. Earlier, the country's first 1.12-kilometre-long flyover at Mohakhali in the capital was opened on November 4 last year, constructed at a cost of Tk 113 crore with financial assistance from the World Bank.
The Khilgaon flyover constructed with domestic resources has connected areas including Rajarbagh, Malibagh, Shahjahanpur, Khilgaon , Goran, Basaboand Sabujbagh.
According to the LGED, earlier people of the eastern region of Dhaka had to lose three and a half hours everyday due to closure of the rail crossing around 72 times a day to allow passage of trains. They will now be able to move without any delay.
The flyover was constructed using a combination of traditional and modern technology. And it was designed, supervised and monitored by local engineers, LGED Chief Engineer Shahidul Hasan said at the inaugural function.
The prime minister said public life was in peril due to heavy traffic jam, black smoke and haphazard garbage dumping in the capital just a few years back. "But we have succeeded to overcome this situation by taking various realistic steps after assuming power."
Elaborating the steps taken to improve environment and ease traffic congestion in Dhaka, Khaleda said her government banned two-stroke autorickshaws, polythene shopping bag and launched a massive cleanliness drive. It introduced modern traffic system, electric signal and renovated old roads and expanded many others. It is also constructing a multi-storey car park at Motijheel to stop haphazard parking on the roads, she mentioned.
In this context, the prime minister called upon private entrepreneurs to come forward to construct such car parks.
For the pedestrians, she said, a good number of over bridges and underpasses have already been constructed. Initiative has already been taken to introduce circular waterways around the city to reduce traffic jam and to facilitate carrying of goods.
Khaleda also listed the government's recent steps for beautification
of roads, pavements and road islands.
The prime minister also lauded the efficiency and skill of LGED engineers and hoped they would contribute more through construction of such infrastructure in the country.
She asked the owners of vehicles and drivers to abide by traffic rules and advised pedestrians to walk through pavements and use underpasses and over bridges to avert accidents.
Presided over by Secretary of the Local Government Division AHM Abul Qasem, the inaugural function was also addressed by, among others, by LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Housing and Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas, Dhaka Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and LGRD State Minister Ziaul Haq Zia.
Mannan Bhuiyan said although the Awami League (AL) claimed they had dreamt of the Khilgaon flyover and initiated its construction, they had just laid its foundation stone.
Referring to a newspaper advertisement by the AL, he said the previous AL government had only allocated Tk 2 crore for the flyover. But the BNP government constructed it, he added.
Earlier, Executive Engineer of Khilgaon Flyover Syed Mahbubur Rahman presented its replica to the PM.