The intended transformation of the 48-km Jashore-Jhenaidah two-lane road into a six-lane highway by the end of this year seems to have hit a roadblock. The same old reasons– – complications in land acquisition and tender process – have been cited for the delay, which, apart from escalating costs, will deprive the people and economy of the intended benefits, as happens in most other big budget projects.
With a mere 3% financial progress achieved so far, a new deadline has been set for June 2026 to complete this segment of the Western Economic Corridor and Regional Enhancement (WeCARE) Programme, which includes 260km of highway and a network of local roads connecting two land ports – Benapole and Bhomra – and Mongla seaport.
Out of the total estimated investment of $3.5 billion, the World Bank has committed $1.4 billion, while the AIIB is contributing an additional $1.2 billion. The rest of the amount will come from the government.
These funds will support the development of the corridor, which spans from Hatikumrul in Sirajganj – serving as the gateway to the northern region of the country – to Jashore via Ishwardi and Jhenaidah, as well as from Navaron to the Bhomra land port via Satkhira, officials from the Economic Relations Division (ERD) have told The Business Standard.
The programme is to be implemented in phases and could run in 10 years of implementation, says a project document prepared by the government in January 2020.
