Workers proud to be part of the engineering feat

"Every day, I walk from the Patenga end of the Bangabandhu Tunnel to the Anwara end. I can see the tunnel taking shape every day. It is a great feeling to be a part of this," said a proud Jewel Miah, who has been working on the tunnel for four years.

He is one of around 150 workers employed by AH Trading, a local labour provider. In addition to these employees by the firm, there are other workers who are involved in welding, painting, and cleaning the tunnel in preparation for its opening on 28 October.

Miah, who hails from Mymensingh, says that he is grateful for the opportunity to learn new skills and contribute to a major infrastructure project of the country.

Like Miah other workers, while talking to The Business Standard recently, expressed their excitement to be part of the mega project, a major engineering feat that will improve transportation and economic opportunities to a great extent.

"I have learned a lot about tunnelling and construction," Miah said. "I am now a more skilled worker because of this experience."

He also shared his excitement to see the tunnel open to traffic. "I am looking forward to seeing cars driving through the tunnel that I helped to build."

Miah also said that he joined the Chinese contractor through a friend who was already working on the project. He started out working for the main contractor during the first three years, earning a monthly salary of Tk28,000. He has been working for AH Trading for the past year, earning Tk500 Bangladeshi taka per day for regular work and Tk60 per hour for overtime.

Miah narrated that he is doing a variety of tasks, including road paving, painting, cleaning, and repairing. He had no prior experience in this type of work, but he has learned everything he needs to know there. He will continue to work for the contractor for another six months after the tunnel is opened.

Like Miah, Mohammad Khalil from Kishoreganj finds working on the tunnel to be a wonderful experience. He lives in Chattogram with his family. Khalil has been working on the tunnel construction project for three years under a sub-contractor. He travels through the tunnel every day for work.

Expressing his feelings, Khalil said, "I have worked with many institutions before. But the feeling of working on the tunnel is very joyful. The engineers and supervisors here have treated us very well. We all worked in a festive atmosphere. We are looking forward to seeing the cars running through this tunnel built by our sweat and toil. That dream is about to come true through the inauguration on 28 October."

The workers are now working day and night to complete the final touches on the tunnel, both inside and out. Despite the busy schedule, the workers seem to be unfazed by the fatigue. There is a festive atmosphere everywhere. Some workers even say they feel sad to think that they will have to say goodbye to this project after the work is completed.