PM asks for region-based appropriate development planning

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked for appropriate development planning taking into consideration the features of different regions. “The characteristics of all areas of Bangladesh are not identical. . . Bangladesh needs to be better known for any development project,” she said while addressing Delta Governance Council’s first meeting at her office here.

The premier said the government took “Delta Plan-2100” to secure the people of this delta and provide them a better life and asked authorities concerned to take planned steps for its implementation.

Sheikh Hasina added that any planned step could solve easily any difficult task. The premier particularly asked the authorities concerned to lay an extra emphasis on exploring the blue economy utilizing the country’s vast maritime resources to boost the national economy.

She said the country’s vast maritime areas would be included to the Delta Plan. Sheikh Hasina said it was a wrong decision to construct the bridge over Jamuna River with having the length of only 4 kilometers unlike Padma Bridge which was built keeping the proper length.

“I didn’t let the Padma Bridge be constructed smaller. We’ve constructed the bridge keeping buffer zones with the river. So, the bridge has become the longest one (in the country),” she said.

“But I think it was a wrong decision to reduce the length of Jamuna bridge to 4-kilometer. Since its design and plan were made earlier, we had nothing more to do there. I only could include the rail line in it,” she said.

The premier said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman discussed the construction of a bridge over Jamuna River with the Japanese government while visiting to Tokyo and then Japan sent a team to conduct a feasibility study over it.

“The feasibility study started in 1974,” she added. So, Bangladesh has a concrete feasibility report over the Jamuna River, she said, adding that her government conducted a feasibility study over Padma River during the construction of Padma Bridge.

The head of the government said the design of the bridge was reshaped after the feasibility report found differences in the depth of the mighty Padma River at various locations in the bridge project site.

“I didn’t let the bridge be built through any cooked up manner . . . I changed the design,” she said.

The premier also said the character of flow and bottom-soil of the rivers including Jamuna and Padma change after every rainy season in the country.

Since the situation in Bangladesh is not the same as in other countries, the plans have to be taken rightly keeping this difference in mind, she added.

Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md. Shahab Uddin, Prime Minister’s Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs Adviser Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, State Minister for Water Resources Zaheed Farooque, Principal Coordinator (SDG Affairs) Zuena Aziz and Senior Secretary of Prime Minister’s Office Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah, among others, were present.