Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visits Chittagong today (30 January) on a daylong tour to inaugurate the World Trade Centre in the port city apart from inaugurating and laying foundation stones of five development projects.

After reaching Chittagong cantonment by a helicopter on Saturday morning, the Prime Minister will first attend the 9th reunion of EBRC at Chittagong cantonment, reports UNB.

After Johr prayers, Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of five development projects.

She will inaugurate the tallest mural of Bangabandhu, installed in Quaish area of the port city.

Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) constructed two murals at both ends of the Oxygen-Quaish road (now renamed as Bangabandhu Avenue) at a cost of about Tk 1.20 crore.

The height of the triangular mural is about 42 feet while the other one, installed at Oxygen point, is about 26 feet. The construction of the murals began in January last year.

The projects that the Prime Minister will inaugurate are Kadamtoli Flyover, constructed at the cost of about Tk 58 crore, 5.5-km-long Bangabandhu Avenue, expanded and developed with an estimated cost of about Tk 45 crore, construction of Link Road from Dhaka Trunk Road to Baizid Bostami road, including Loop Road at the outer periphery of Asian University for Women, with a budget of about Tk 172 crore, construction of Chittagong City Outer Ring road costing about Tk 1,700 crore.

She will also lay the foundation stone of the Elevated Express Way from city’s Lalkhan Bazar area to Shah Amanat International Airport with an estimated cost of Tk 3,000 crore.

The Prime Minister will then go to Agrabad area in the port city and inaugurate the World Trade Center and attend the Centenary celebration of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

World Trade Centre

With the formal inauguration of the World Trade Center (WTC) in Chittagong on Saturday, country’s economic nerve-centre will go one-step forward to be truly an international standard city.

The WTC, a 21-storey and the tallest building in Chittagong, is equipped with all modern facilities.

The trade centre, according to business leaders, will help country’s overall business activities, including import-export, attain international standard.

The Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), which has constructed the WTC, is also observing its 100th anniversary through a five-day programme that started on Thursday, celebration committee chairman and former CCCI President MA Latif, MP told UNB.

The Prime Minister will also attend a function marking the 100-year celebrations of the CCCI on the same day after inaugurating the WTC.

‘The WTC will give new flavour to the port city after the Radisson Blu Chittagong Bay View (launched recently),’ leading businessman from Chittagong and former President of Bangladesh-Malaysia Chambers of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) Syed Nurul Islam told UNB.

He thinks the WTC will play a big role in taking Chittagong city to the international level though the WTC could have been built long ago.

Talking about the ongoing five-day celebrations, MA Latif said, ‘We’re focusing on all aspects - the glorious history of Chittagong and Chittagong port and the huge tourism potential that Chittagong has.’

He also said they explored every possible area to brand Chittagong properly abroad as many foreign friends are attending the celebrations.

On Sunday, there will be an international business conference and youth seminar at Radisson Blu Chittagong, MA Latif said.

He also said an international tourism summit will be held at Rangamati on Monday where international dignitaries, ministers from different countries and business leaders of home and abroad are expected to take part.

According to the CCCI leaders, the WTC will have bank branches, exhibition halls, shopping mall, food court, conference rooms, health clubs, banquet halls, billiard rooms, snooker rooms, tennis courts and swimming pools in the building.

The 10th to 20th floors remained booked for five-star hotels and there will be a helipad on the rooftop.

The World Trade Center built in Chittagong is a member of World Trade Centers Association in New York.

The construction work of the WTC started in 2006 on a 75-katha of land beside the scenic ‘Agrabad Deba’ in the Agrabad commercial area.