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The controversial project to construct 15 kilometres of elevated road in the haor area of Kishoreganj's Mithamoin upazila will be cancelled as part of the interim government's move to cut costs and to protect the environment.
The Tk 56.5 billion project, taken by the previous Awami League government because of the wish of party leader and former president Mohammad Abdul Hamid, faced criticism amid severe flash floods that hit the haor area after inaugurating the Mithamoin-Austagram road.
The 47km road was constructed at grade. Some channels were kept open for the haor water to cross, which caused severe flash floods in the area after the road's opening in 2019.
Officials said the process has already started to cancel the project, which had been approved at the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting on January 18, 2023.
Though Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) has already released Tk 3.0 billion to acquire land for the project, it said the fund would be withdrawn as the acquisition process is yet to start.
Sources said BBA would make the move according to the rail and road transport adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan's direction given after a meeting in the last week of April.
BBA has already spent a handsome amount on building the project office.
Bridges Secretary Mohammad Abdur Rouf during a meeting with the Reporters for Rail and Road members said the decision to cancel the project was made considering its bad impacts on the environment and the haor area's biodiversity.
He also said the released land acquisition fund would be taken back.
The Mithamoin Elevated Expressway project was planned to establish road communication in the haor region from Mithamoin headquarters to Karimganj upazila, connecting the Mithamoin Cantonment.
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