Bridge Department wants to give private sector “seven-star guesthouse of Karnaphuli Tunnel” Rakib uddin
Karnaphuli Tunnel rest house has been built by destroying agricultural land in Chattogram. Several hundred crores of taka have been spent But it is of no use.
It has been lying idle for more than a year after its construction. Officials and employees are also sitting idle. The Bridge Department says that it will lease the service area of the Karnaphuli Tunnel to make it profitable.
30 luxurious bungalows have been built near the sea. These guesthouses are well-furnished with expensive furniture and electronic equipment. There is a luxurious arrangement of about five thousand square feet for the most important people of the state.There is also a swimming pool.
Officials and employees of the Karnaphuli Tunnel project say that the service area of the Karnaphuli Tunnel has been built on 74 acres of land at a cost of about 4.5 billion taka. Alongside the beautiful bungalow, there is a two-story conference center, health center, helipad, mosque, police and fire service station. There is also a museum. An air-conditioning system with a capacity of 1,182 tons has been installed in these facilities. 80 battalion Ansars are guarding the facility.
The workers at the rest house said that it has all the latest furniture and facilities. All kinds of arrangements have been made so that VIPs do not face any problems while staying here.
Crop fields, salt fields and fish enclosures have been destroyed in the construction of this facility. The Parki canal has also been damaged. Locals have expressed anger over the huge waste.
Locals say that these bungalows in the service area of the Karnaphuli Tunnel have been built with all the facilities of a seven-star hotel. However, despite having all the modern facilities, these bungalows are lying idle. Apart from this, crop fields, salt fields and fish ponds have been destroyed due to this bungalow. Those who used to earn a living by farming here are facing a lot of hardship.
Engineering sources said that a plan has been taken to give the service area to the private sector to reduce losses and increase income. Tenders will be invited soon to include these bungalows in the tourism business.
A tunnel was built under the Karnaphuli River at a cost of BDT 10,689 crore. It was commissioned in October 2023.