SDA begins its journey in Sylhet
There is no alternative to coordinated work among service organizations for planned urban development, creating balanced infrastructure and alleviating public suffering.
Keeping this goal in mind, the official activities of the Sylhet Development Authority (SDA) have officially started in Sylhet, the holy land of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) and Hazrat Shah Paran (RA). The temporary office in Naiwarpur, Sylhet city, was inaugurated on Tuesday. Later, a colorful gathering was held at the Sylhet Zilla Parishad auditorium.
Speaking as the chief guest at the gathering, Commerce, Industry and Jute and Textiles Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, MP said that in the past, due to lack of inter-coordination between government departments, the city residents had to face repeated hardships like digging roads, cutting and reinstalling gas and water pipelines while implementing a development project.
This has repeatedly resulted in wastage of budget and time. The main goal of the CUC will be to stop such development-related complications and accelerate the development of Sylhet according to the planned design and proper planning.
He further announced that the visible work of the mega development projects of Sylhet division and the city will start from the beginning of next winter. A mega project worth about Tk 5,300 crore for the reconstruction and modernization of rural roads in each of the four upazilas of Sylhet division is awaiting the final approval of the government.
In addition, a project worth about Tk 4,000 crore to permanently resolve the city’s main problem of waterlogging is in the final stage, the physical work of which will start directly on the ground.
To ensure the recreation and air quality of the city residents, an initiative has been taken to build a beautiful and huge park at the site of the old Sylhet jail, which will develop as the main ‘lungs’ and tourist attraction of the city.
Opening the programme, Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher, MP expressed his firm determination to bring Sylhet under the master plan and develop it as a modern and environmentally friendly city.
He said that the main goal is to create sustainable infrastructure to meet the challenges of rapid urbanization in Sylhet. Laws will be strictly enforced to protect hills and water bodies, introduce modern waste management, reduce traffic congestion, and prevent construction of buildings outside the approved design.
He mentioned that despite money laundering and wastage in the name of mega projects in the last 17 years, sustainable urbanization has not taken place. Currently, as part of the 180-day action plan announced by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, the work of formulating master plans and forming development authorities in divisional cities is progressing successfully.
The event, chaired by SDA Chairman Rezaul Hasan Kayes Lodi and moderated by Golazar Ahmed, was addressed as special guests by State Minister for Housing and Public Works Ahmed Sohel Manzur, MP, MPs Tahsina Rushdi Luna (Sylhet-2), MA Malik (Sylhet-3) and Advocate Emran Ahmed Chowdhury (Sylhet-6). Sylhet City Corporation Administrator Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, District Council Administrator Abul Kaher Shamim, SMP Police Commissioner Sarwar Murshed Shamim, Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Al Mamun and Jalalabad Gas Limited Director Badruzzaman Selim, along with civil society representatives, were also present.
