why such unconcern or sheer inefficiency is tolerated in relation to a high value national project ? More important would be the question of who or whom should be held accountable for the sloppy state of affairs in relation to this project

Uncertain upgrading of Dhaka-Chittagong highway

Presently, the Dhaka-Chittagong highway is considered as the busiest one in the whole country. It is a major highway for the movement of people, no doubt. But its greater significance lies in the fact that the lion’s share of the export and import cargoes of the country travel  from Dhaka to Chittagong and vice versa as well as other destinations by using it on a daily basis.
  But over time, the heavily used road has become unsuitable to meet fully or all the demands on it, efficiently. The expansion of the country’s economy, the increase in the volume of commercial cargoes thereof, all these  are putting more and more pressures on this  road. Not only for meeting the much greater needs of transportation nowadays compared to the past, but also for getting ready to cope successfully with what are certain to be substantially higher traffic loads on it in the future, the Dhaka-Chittagong highway required urgent uplift and expansion of its capacities. Thus, a project was taken up from 2009 to double its capacity or to turn it into a four-lane one.
   Work on it progressed in the next two years that raised confidence about its completion within the planned period. But the latest information on further progress is disquieting. According to a report in a leading daily of the country on Sunday, the Dhaka-Chittagong highway is not likely to be upgraded to become a four lane one by the end of the current year. Though it was planned for completion within three years, it remains incomplete even after six years. Meanwhile, its anticipated date of completion was changed three times and additional one thousand crore Taka was allocated for the project to take care of cost escalations from delays.  
Why works in this nationally important infrastructure-- considered as pivotal for the economy-- are stalling, certainly can demand an answer and acceptable explanation. The Minister for Communications visited the site of the project last on December 2014 and on that occasion spoke reassuringly about opening the new two lanes to traffic by May-June 2015. But now it has become uncertain whether the project can be completed even in the first quarter of 2016 given the on going casual attitude at the project site and if past experiences are to be any guide.
All these naturally give rise to the question : why such unconcern or sheer inefficiency is  tolerated in relation to a high value national project ? More important would be the question of who or whom should be held accountable for the sloppy state of affairs in relation to this project and whether they would be required to suffer any penalties for their failing to deliver in time.

 

why such unconcern or sheer inefficiency is tolerated in relation to a high value national project ? More important would be the question of who or whom should be held accountable for the sloppy state of affairs in relation to this project

Uncertain upgrading of Dhaka-Chittagong highway

Presently, the Dhaka-Chittagong highway is considered as the busiest one in the whole country. It is a major highway for the movement of people, no doubt. But its greater significance lies in the fact that the lions share of the export and import cargoes of the country travel from Dhaka to Chittagong and vice versa as well as other destinations by using it on a daily basis. But over time, the heavily used road has become unsuitable to meet fully or all the demands on it, efficiently. The expansion of the countrys economy, the increase in the volume of commercial cargoes thereof, all these are putting more and more pressures on this road. Not only for meeting the much greater needs of transportation nowadays compared to the past, but also for getting ready to cope successfully with what are certain to be substantially higher traffic loads on it in the future, the Dhaka-Chittagong highway required urgent uplift and expansion of its capacities. Thus, a project was taken up from 2009 to double its capacity or to turn it into a four-lane one. Work on it progressed in the next two years that raised confidence about its completion within the planned period. But the latest information on further progress is disquieting. According to a report in a leading daily of the country on Sunday, the Dhaka-Chittagong highway is not likely to be upgraded to become a four lane one by the end of the current year. Though it was planned for completion within three years, it remains incomplete even after six years. Meanwhile, its anticipated date of completion was changed three times and additional one thousand crore Taka was allocated for the project to take care of cost escalations from delays. Why works in this nationally important infrastructure-- considered as pivotal for the economy-- are stalling, certainly can demand an answer and acceptable explanation. The Minister for Communications visited the site of the project last on December 2014 and on that occasion spoke reassuringly about opening the new two lanes to traffic by May-June 2015. But now it has become uncertain whether the project can be completed even in the first quarter of 2016 given the on going casual attitude at the project site and if past experiences are to be any guide. All these naturally give rise to the question : why such unconcern or sheer inefficiency is tolerated in relation to a high value national project ? More important would be the question of who or whom should be held accountable for the sloppy state of affairs in relation to this project and whether they would be required to suffer any penalties for their failing to deliver in time.