Dhaka-Sylhet highway project to be completed by mid-2029: Minister

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam today (9 September) said the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway project is expected to be completed and opened to traffic by the middle of 2029 as the government has accelerated land acquisition, utility shifting and physical works.

"The project had achieved only 18 percent land acquisition over the previous four and a half years. We have raised it to 65 percent in the last six months," he said while replying to a supplementary question from opposition lawmaker Mahfuza Hannan (women seat-41) in the House today (9 September).

With Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Bir Bikram, in the chair, the minister said utility service shifting, which had made little progress earlier, has also advanced substantially.

He said physical implementation of the project had stood at around 13 percent but crossed 38 percent over the last six months.

"We expect land acquisition to reach 100 percent within the next two months. Utility shifting will also be completed, while physical work under all 13 packages is currently underway," he added.

The minister expressed hope that the government would complete the highway project and open it to traffic by mid-2029.

Responding to concerns over the deteriorated condition of some sections of the existing highway, he acknowledged that several stretches require immediate repair.

Rabiul said the government faced some difficulty in determining repair costs because a major highway development project was already underway.

"Considering the national importance of the highway and the fact that several accidents have occurred in the area, instructions have already been given to repair the first seven kilometers from Sylhet as quickly as possible and keep the road fit for traffic. The work has already started," he added.