Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that her government will build Dhaka as a "Smart City" as she opened the Kalshi Flyover and a six-lane road from ECB square to Kalshi to the traffic in Mirpur.

"We will build Dhaka as a smart city," she said while addressing a public rally at Kalshi Balur Math here after opening the flyover and the road unveiling a plaque.

The prime minister said her government has made plans keeping people's welfare in mind.

At the rally, she also announced to rename of Kalshi flyover after Harun Mollah due to his glorious contribution to the Liberation War and all the democratic and progressive movements of the country.

The main problem of Dhaka city is not to have better connectivity between its East and West, the premier said, adding her government has attached priority to the development of communication system in this part of the capital.

She said this 2.34km Kalshi flyover and 3.70km widened and developed six-lane road from the ECB square would ease the communication in Mirpur, DOHS, Pallabi, Kalshi, Mahakhali, Manikdi, Matikata, Bhashantek, Banani, Uttara and the Airport.

Traffic congestion in Dhaka would decline significantly after opening the Kalshi Flyover and the six-lane road following the metro rail, she hoped.

About measures taken for the development of Dhaka north city, Sheikh Hasina said as many as 23 projects involving Tk3,500 crore have been implemented in the last 12 years since Dhaka city was divided into two parts in 2011.

She said 16 projects worth over Tk3,000 crore have also been implemented in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) over the years.

She mentioned that under these projects, the development of communication and infrastructures in the capital including its beautification, improvement of water supply management, construction and development of footpaths and waste management alongside roads, bridges and flyovers were made.

At the function, the prime minister announced to build Kalshi Balur Math as an amusement park with a playground for children and youths and walkways for the movement of the aged persons.

Sheikh Hasina, also president of the Awami League, said her government would strengthen and well-protect democracy to build the fate of the people.

Referring to vote rigging by the BNP-Jamaat alliance in the 1996 national election, she said the people of the country removed them from power within one and a half months.

"The people of the country never accepted those who came to power through vote rigging," she said.

The prime minister said the BNP-Jamaat clique wanted to manipulate the election through vote rigging after incorporating 1.23 crore fake votes in 2006, but the people forced them to stop it through movement.

After the rally, she took the Kalshi flyover to reach her official Ganobhaban residence.

Ecnec on 9 Jan 2018 approved the project, under which, a 3.70km stretch of road from the ECB square to Kalshi was widened, while the 2.34km long Kalshi flyover was constructed at the Kalshi intersection under the Local Government Division of the Ministry of LGRD and Cooperatives.

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Bangladesh Army (24 Engineer Construction Brigade) implemented the project at a cost of around Tk1,012 crore.

The construction work of the project started in January 2018 and it was completed four months prior to the stipulated time in June 2023.

According to the project details, the flyover looks like the English alphabet "Y." The previously four-lane roads have been widened to six lanes to ease passenger commute.

The main four-lane flyover runs from ECB square towards Kalshi and Mirpur DOHS, while a two-lane ramp descends from the Kalshi intersection to Kalshi Road.

The project also includes extension of a PC girder bridge, the construction of two foot over-bridges, a public toilet, two police boxes, a 7.40km RCC drain and saucer drain, a 1,755m RCC pipe drain, retaining wall, 3,383m communication duct, 800,000 linear metre sand compaction pile, separate bicycle lanes, and six bus bays.

Total two overhead footbridges with escalators have been constructed next to the flyover.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam, DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam, Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed and Dhaka-16 MP Md Elias Uddin Mollah spoke at the rally.

State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharjee, and Local Government Division Secretary Muhammad Ibrahim, were present on the dais.

The Commander of the 24 Engineer Construction Brigade gave a brief presentation on the Kalshi flyover and the six-lane road.

A video documentary on the Kalshi flyover and road project was also screened at the function.