Locals demand not to shift Bangladesh Institute of Frontier Tech Project to Shibpur
Madaripur Correspondent
Locals are caught off guard by the news of relocation of the Bangladesh Institute of Frontier Technology project to Kutubpur union beside Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway in Shibchar upazila of Madaripur.
This has worried the optimistic people of Shibchar. For the past few days, various social media, including private satellite television, have been spreading the news of shifting the project from Shibchar to Purbachal. If the project is shifted from Shibchar, the landowners will suffer greatly.
The locals are dreaming a lot about such a mega project next to the Padma Bridge and the expressway.
On the spot, it was seen that the work of the Bangladesh Institute of Frontier Technology project started in September 2023 on about 70 acres of land in Kutubpur, Shibchar, next to the Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway.
The cost of the project is estimated at 1,500 crore taka. Of this, about 248 crore taka was spent on the work. Land was acquired, electricity connection, soil filling and piling work was also done. Most of the landowners in the project have also been compensated.
Md. Zillur Madbar, a resident who was the landowner of the project, said, I have given about 5 bighas of land for the Bangladesh Frontier Technology project. Work has already started there, but now I am hearing that the project will be moved from here. If the project is moved from here after destroying hundreds of bighas of property, we will be affected.
Nasir Bepari, a resident who received compensation from the landowner of the project, said, I have given about 8 bighas of land for this project. I have not received the full compensation yet. The compensation is stuck in the DC office. If the project is moved, we will be affected. We want the project to remain here. This will benefit us, and the southern region will improve.
Mizanur Rahman Sikder of Western Engineering, the contractor of the project, said that the work is progressing slowly due to manpower. We have not received any letter yet about the project transfer. I also saw the news on television that the project will be transferred from Shivchar to Purbachal. I cannot say more than that.
