Bangladesh Has An Underwater Tunnel, First In South Asia

PHOTO OF ILLUSTRATION/UNSPLASH/CLArk Gu

JAKARTA - Bangladesh last Saturday officially had an underwater tunnel built with a Chinese company.

The building is not only the first underwater tunnel in Bangladesh, but also in the South Asian region.

According to a report by China's news agency Xinhua, the underwater tunnel was inaugurated by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and China's Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on October 29.

Hasina became the first person to pay the toll road to enter a tunnel called Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel

The tunnel, which is about 242 km southeast of the capital Dhaka, was built by Chinese Communications Construction Company Ltd.

"This is a great opportunity for the people of both countries and for trade and tourism," said local resident Anand Barua, while calling China a Bangladeshi friend.

"China is our partner in this tunnel. We are very grateful," Barua continued as quoted by Xinhua.

Yu Jingtao, the manager of the tunnel construction project, explained that the project was carried out based on Chinese designs, technology and standards.

Bangladesh's Minister of Transportation Obaidul Quader called the tunnel "a monumental achievement" that led Bangladesh to a new era of transportation and a source of national pride in its country.

The tunnel, which connects the Asian Highway (still in plans) toll road Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox's Bazar, shortened the distance from Chattogram to Cox's Bazar to 40 km.

The project shows China's close relationship with Bangladesh, as well as with South Asia.

According to a BBC report on October 15, China became the largest creditor and an important source of investment for many developing countries, including South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, which occupies a strategic position in China's government's Prekarsa Belt and Road (BRI).

"Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh view BRI as an opportunity to diversify land and attract much-needed investment to modernize their economy," said Constantino Xavier, an expert from the Center for Social and Economic Progress in New Delhi.