'Project undertaken to make March 7 venue a wonder to behold'

The government has rolled out a project to make Suhrawardy Udyan - where Bangabandhu delivered his landmark March 7 speech and Pakistani occupation forces surrendered on December16 - a wonder to behold.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said this Saturday during a press briefing at his official residence, reports UNB.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, called on everyone not to worry about the project "as the government remains alert about the environmental concerns and is going ahead with a realistic plan."

Also, M Habibul Islam, project director of Shawdhinata Stambha (Independence Monument) construction project (Phase III) at the Suhrawardy Udyan, said in the evening: "The government has given priority to saving trees and not felling any tree unnecessarily while implementing the mega plan at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan. At least one thousand trees will be planted in the coming rainy season."

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina approved a mega plan in 2017. The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works are jointly implementing the development project worth Tk 2.65 billion. The project kicked off on January 1, 2018 with the deadline of June 2022.

Under the project, the places of the historic March 7 Speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the places where the Pakistani occupation army surrendered and other historical events of the Liberation War took place will be preserved.