Tanvir Ahmed Rasel, CoU: In October 2018, ECNEC has approved a Advanced Development Project worth Tk 1,655.50 crore to address various infrastructural crises at Comilla University (CoU).Though two years have passed afrer the approval of project , the land acquisition has not yet been completed. Everyone concerned with the university fears that the delay in the start of the project that may delay the implementation of the project in time.

University administration has taken the decision to expand the campus almost 1.2 km far from the current showing excuse of lack of space near to the current campus.The project design proposes to acquire 200 acres of land to build infrastructure on the expanded campus. The entire work of this project was to be completed by 2023. But, even after two years of approval, preliminary work like land acquisition is still stuck.

The students were optimistic at first about this mega project of ComillaUniversity.  They are now expressing their displeasure as no visible work of this project has started in two long years. Rakibul Hasan, a student of the Department of Economics, said, “If we want to compete with the universities of the developed world, we need such facilities, which was there in the design of the approved project that was shown. But seeing the pace of implementation of the project, I am worried about when this project will end or whether we will get the benefits at all.

When it it was tried to know about the the reason of delayed of land acquisition, the registrar of the university, Prof. Md. Abu Taher (Additional Responsibility) said, `The DC office will acquire the land not the University. Since the government is giving it to us, the land will be officially acquired by the university. So far so good, Plans are underway to build the project infrastructure through the Bangladesh Army.

Asked why the land was not being acquired even though all was well, the CoU registrar said, "We have asked the ministry for Tk 500 crore for the land acquisition. However, the full amount is not allocated this year. And if you don`t pay the full amount, the DC office will not be able to acquire the land. So it`s getting late. `

Meanwhile, although the land acquisition has not yet taken place, the registrar of the university expressed hope that the work would be completed on time. Then things will get faster. And if the time has to be extended, the army will do it.

Md. Sanwar Ali, project director of ComillaUniversity, could not be reached for comment.

It should be mentioned that, in the 11th meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), ComillaUniversity got approval for a mega project worth Tk 1,655.50 crore. The deadline for completion of the project is June 2023.