Teknaf, Sept 23 (V7N) – Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee has said the 61-kilometre border road along Bangladesh’s frontier with Myanmar in Teknaf is critically important for national security and must be completed despite various complications surrounding the project.

He said the completion of the road would strengthen security operations along the border and improve the capabilities of security forces to prevent drug trafficking, smuggling, illegal entry of Rohingya refugees and other cross-border crimes.

The minister made the remarks while speaking to journalists on Tuesday afternoon during a visit to the Naf River along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Teknaf. Earlier, the local administration organised a meeting with relevant stakeholders to discuss measures to strengthen border security.

Asked about allegations of irregularities and corruption in the construction of the border road and the increase in project costs, Anee said the project had been revised three times, resulting in a rise in expenditure.

“The fact that a project has been revised three times raises questions. If people are still being deprived of the expected benefits, why was it revised?” he said, questioning the justification behind the repeated revisions.

The minister acknowledged that mistakes had been made in earlier stages of the project but said the government could not leave the work unfinished.

“We are an elected government and we have responsibilities. At this moment, this has become a difficult issue for us. But it must also be completed. We cannot simply sit back,” he said.

Anee said the government would coordinate the necessary issues and complete the border road in the national interest. He added that water drainage, flood control and canal excavation would also be taken into consideration alongside border security.

The minister described the road as more than a transport infrastructure project, saying it would form an important part of the country’s border security system. Once completed, it would facilitate more effective patrols and surveillance by security forces along the frontier.

The road is also expected to help authorities combat drug trafficking and smuggling and strengthen efforts to prevent illegal cross-border movement and other crimes in the area, he said.

State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad, Cox’s Bazar-4 lawmaker Shahjahan Chowdhury, Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Anik Chowdhury, Cox’s Bazar district BNP finance secretary Mohammad Abdullah, government officials and representatives of relevant stakeholders attended the meeting.

Later in the afternoon, the minister inspected the embankment at Shah Porir Dwip and adjacent areas along the Naf River.

Construction of the 61-kilometre Border Protection Road began in 2017 along the Bangladesh-Myanmar frontier. The road is being built from Ghumdhum in Naikhyangchhari of Bandarban through Palongkhali in Ukhiya to Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf.

The project cost has risen to Tk 358 crore following three revisions. The Bangladesh Water Development Board is implementing the project through five packages.

However, construction has progressed intermittently due to various complications, leaving the project incomplete years after work began.

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