Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday
said the construction works of Dhaka Elevated Expressway will be completed
within this year (2024).
He made the announcement at a press conference at Setu
Bhaban in the capital.
Quader, also the Awami League (AL) general secretary, said
about 50 percent works of Dhaka Elevated Expressway has already been completed,
while traffic movement has begun from the airport to Farmgate section.
The remaining part on Chattogram highway up to Kutubkhali
will be completed by 2024, he said.
Noting that Taka two crore toll is being collected from
Padma Bridge per day, the road transport and bridges minister said so far, toll
of 1,252 crore has been collected from traffic movement on the Padma Bridge.
In addition, he hoped, the works of the BRTA project in
Gazipur would be completed by June this year.
Replying to a question, Quader said BNP leaders are now
talking weird and absurd for their own happiness.
"No one should be jealous seeing the country's
prosperity. The country's interests should be considered first. The government
that conducts development works should be appreciated but unfortunately this is
not happening in Bangladesh," he said.
Responding to the statements of BNP leaders that the
grassroots AL leaders are in panic after the January 7 general elections, the
AL general secretary said the BNP leaders threatened that they would not allow
elections to take place, but the government held a peaceful poll with some
sporadic incidents.
"But nothing like what BNP thought actually happened.
The voter turnout was 41.8 percent in the polls. BNP claimed that the country's
people did not respond to the election, but they (people) did not pay heed to
them....that was why they (BNP leaders) are talking weird and absurd for their
own peace in mind," Quader said.