The WB sought a plan for the new city that would develop because of the Eastern Bypass as experts believe it could be another concrete jungle in the eastern side of Dhaka city unless a well-designed city plan is prepared.

A delegation of the WB led by its Country Director Christine I Wallich at a meeting with LGRD and Co-operatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan on September 16 discussed the issues including the funding and master plan of the city.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka Transport Co-ordination Board (DTCB) has been asked by the higher authority to prepare a master plan for the extended city.

"We have already prepared a macro-plan but we have not yet received any formal letter from the Prime Minister's Office to submit it," said director of DTCB.

While preparing the plan, DTCB examined the surveys done on the city development under Eastern Bypass Project by Halco and Fox, Japan International Co-operation Agency and International Infrastructure Facilitation Centre.

DTCB suggest that private holding companies and government could jointly work for the development of the city with the government playing the major role. A Dhaka United Development Authority could be formed to manage it.

As some developers have already started buying lands in the Eastern Bypass area, it is necessary to have a master plan for proper land management in the area.

"The city would grow in the eastern Dhaka immediately after the Eastern Bypass and embankment are built. The new city should have a master plan otherwise this would be an unplanned area like the existing city," said a WB official. "It may become a big slum."

"The Eastern Bypass and embankment may take 3-4 years to complete but the new city should be built as a ideal city which may take 10-15 years," the WB official said.

The huge project needs a separate authority like that formed for the construction of Jamuna Bridge. Private companies may be engaged to ensure all civic amenities like water, electricity, sewerage and drainage in the area, WB officials think.

The Eastern Bypass Project was taken by water resource ministry in 1998 but due to unavailability of funds, it could not be implemented. The project's estimated cost is Tk 2476 crore, according to project concept paper.

The project will protect the city from floodwater of Balu river covering Tongi Bridge to Demra road. Total area of the project is 124 square km. A 30km flood protection dam will be built from Tongi railway bridge to Kanchpur Bridge under the project.

The original project also included planned Dhaka city circular railway and road. Already 70 hectares of land has been acquired for this project.

City planners believe traffic congestion in the city will be eased after the construction of the Eastern Bypass. The transports from northern and southern parts of the country will be able to bypass Dhaka through Tongi-Demra road.

The project officers of Water Development Board said four pump-houses will be built to pump out the stagnant water of city. Sluice-gate and drainage system would cost Tk 1000 crore, embankment Tk 800 crore and the bypass road Tk 700 crore.

On July 29 this year, a visiting team of Asian Development Bank at a meeting with Communications Minister Nazmul Huda in Dhaka expressed interest in the project for the protection of Dhaka city from floods.