By Mizan Rahman
DHAKA: Army chief General Moeen U Ahmed has expressed willingness to construct a 25km road linking Chittagong with the Myanmar capital of Yangon.
He was inaugurating the Ranir Haat bridge in Rangunia in the port city yesterday.
If the army is allowed to build the link road, then the government will be able to save ‘a lot of money’, he said.
General Moeen said he had a similar discussion with a team from Myanmar on this issue.
The two neighbouring countries this year decided to build the proposed road, stretching from Taungbro to Kyauktaw in Myanmar via Ramu-Guandhum to Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh in two phases at an estimated cost of 9,334.6mn taka.
In the first phase, the Bangladesh government will construct a 23 km road, linking Guandhum in Cox’s Bazar to Baulibazar in Myanmar.
Bangladesh communications secretary Mahbubur Rahman and the deputy construction minister of Myanmar, U Thint Shaw, initiated an agreement at Nay Pyi Taw, the new administrative capital of Myanmar, on April 28, agreeing to construct the road.
The foreign ministry also asked the communications ministry to take necessary steps for approval of the 23km road project from the Executive Committee of National Economic Council.
The 153km road link was considered a major component of the ‘Look east policy’ of Bangladesh which was launched in 2002 to strengthen ties with countries in Southeast Asia, and especially with China.
Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia proposed to build the highway during her visit to Myanmar in 2003. The head of the Myanmar government visited Bangladesh the next year and laid the foundation of the road at Teknaf.
The proposed road is expected to connect Bangladesh with Thailand and China through Myanmar.
Communications ministry officials told newsmen that the Dhaka-Yangon road is expected to be completed within four years as it will take one year to carry out procedural work while another three years will be needed to complete the road.