Dhaka-Sylhet and Sylhet-Tamabil highway projects are not near completion

The Dhaka-Sylhet and Sylhet-Tamabil four-lane highway projects look likely to be delayed by two years and a half as the cost of land-acquisition and relocation of utility service lines for expanding the highways doubled over initial estimation, say insiders. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has given its consent to provide funds for the project, aimed at making the highway suitable for regional connectivity as well as cross-border and regional trade.
A media report on Saturday said that the government had taken a Tk 3,586.04 crore project in 2018 for acquiring land and moving the utility service lines by December last year as preparatory work for expansion of the highways. But the latest news has worried the authorities of the highway expansion projects, involving Tk 20,500 crore, for being unable to start the physical work as scheduled. The projects are now likely to face trouble, as the revised project for clearing the land will take another two years costing 105 per cent more money.
For greater movement of traffic due to increased industralisation in Sylhet region and trans-border movement, the need for upgrading the highway has been given a priority. According to insiders, the project would further facilitate trade with India’s seven-sister states and connectivity with China, Myanmar and Bhutan. Meanwhile, the financier of Sylhet-Tamabil highway expansion project has given a condition that the work on the ground cannot start until the land clearing was done. If the financier sticks to its condition, then the project may face further delay.
Failure to complete development projects in time and within budget has for long impacted the economy as delayed implementation adds to project costs. At the same time delays in project implementation mean not delivering the expected benefits to the public and adding to their sufferings.