Dhaka-Ashulia Expressway finally goes to ECNEC
Representayional image generated by AI.
After being stalled for six long months for unknown reasons, the wait is finally coming to an end. The revised proposal for the "Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway" – a dream project for hassle-free movement of people from the northern region of the country – is being placed before the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). Along with this, a total of 9 projects, including 8 others, are being finalized for presentation by the Planning Division.
If the expressway proposal is approved, the project will be connected to the Bypail Intersection, the Airport Third Terminal, and the underground Metro Rail. Under the project, approximately 24 kilometers of elevated expressway is being constructed from Kawla in the capital to Abdullahpur-Kamarpada-Dhour-Ashulia-Jirabo-Bypail-Savar EPZ and up to Shreepur Bus Stand.
The meeting, to be chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman, will be held on Wednesday (July 22) in the Cabinet Room of the Bangladesh Secretariat.
In this regard, several officials concerned of the Planning Commission told Agamir Somoy that the final list of projects has not been nailed down yet. However, it will be finalized and distributed by today (Sunday) or tomorrow morning.
They said that the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway project, being implemented with a China creadit, and is one of the important ongoing projects in the country. It had been stalled since the interim government's tenure. However, considering its importance, Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury recently signed off on placing the revised proposal before ECNEC. Following that, it is being presented on Wednesday.
Sources said that the original cost of the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway construction project was estimated at Tk 16,901.32 crore. Of this, Tk 5,951.41 crore is from government funds and Tk 10,949.90 crore is from a Chinese loan. Earlier, the first revision of the project increased the cost to Tk 17,553 crore.
In the second revision, the cost is being increased by Tk 9,680 crore, bringing the total to Tk 26,581 crore. This represents a 55.15% increase compared to the original cost. As of June 2025, Tk 11,735.17 crore had been spent under the project, with financial progress at 66.86% and physical progress at 52%.
Meanwhile, the original project timeline was from September 2017 to June 2022. However, it took a long time to get approval, with ECNEC finally approving it on June 16, 2022. As a result, the deadline was extended to June 2026. Now, a proposal has been made to extend it by another four years until June 2030.
The project's Project Director (PD), Md. Shafiqul Islam, told Agamir Somoy that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on January 22, 2015, with the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC), an organization designated by the Chinese government, for the implementation of the project on a G-to-G basis. Later, the commercial contract for the project was signed on November 29, 2017, and a loan agreement was signed with the China Exim Bank on October 26, 2021. It became effective from the following year. Under the commercial contract, construction work officially began. According to the contract, the construction period was set at 5 years and 2 months. However, because the loan agreement was signed 5 years after the commercial contract, the project timeline was later extended to June 2026. The second revision is now being made due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, changes in VAT and income tax, increased costs in customs duties, changes in the price contingency sector, increased costs for utility relocation, five essential variations, land acquisition, and increased costs in the consultancy services sector.
In response to a question, the Project Director said that if the revised proposal is approved, a new intersection will be added at Bypail. Once implemented, no vehicle will have to stop in traffic jams there even for a minute. Additionally, new connections are being added to link it with the Airport Third Terminal and the under-construction Underground Metro Rail Line-1. This is why the cost is increasing significantly.
The Planning Commission stated that a meeting of the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) was held on the revision proposal back in January. Despite six months passing, approval of the revision proposal remained stalled for unknown reasons.
Other projects to be presented before ECNEC:
Project to protect the Shibpur, Dhania, and Meduna areas in Bhola Sadar and Daulatkhan upazilas from erosion of the Meghna River.
Integrated development project for the greater Dinajpur district (Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh).
Rural road maintenance and employment generation project.
Universal Social Infrastructure Development-2 project.
Disaster shelter construction, renovation, and development project.
Drilling of one appraisal-cum-development well (Begumganj-5) and two exploration wells (Begumganj-6 and Sunetra-2).
Power distribution system development project for Sylhet Division.
Upgradation of existing kidney dialysis centers in medical college hospitals to 50-bed facilities.
Establishment of 10-bed kidney dialysis centers in district sadar hospitals.
