Land acquisition not done yet for CoU expansion

Land acquisition for further development of Comilla University (CoU) has not been completed yet since the government approved the mage project more than two years ago.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) okayed the “Further Development Comilla University” (CoU) project involving Tk 1,655.5 crore in October 2018 with setting the project deadline by 2023.

The project proposes to acquire 200 acres of land for infrastructure development to expand the campus. However, the CoU authorities has decided to choose a possible site for the project some 1.2 km away from the existing campus with no significant progress on land acquisition.

Asked on the delay in land acquisition, CoU Registrar Prof Md Abu Taher told the Bangladesh Post the office of the deputy commissioner is mainly responsible for doing so before handing it over to the CoU authorities.

"We have asked the ministry concerned for Tk 500 crore to acquire the land but it’s is not done yet. The DC office can’t act until the payment is made in full. That is why it's getting late,” Prof Taher added.

However, plans are underway to implement the project in collaboration infrastructure the Bangladesh Army, he said.

Bangladesh Post could not reach Project Director Md Sanwar Ali for a comment.

Delay over the mega project sparks dissatisfaction among the students as no visible improvement has been made in two years. 

“If we want to compete with the universities in the developed countries, we need necessary facilities and the design of the mega project has it all,” said Rakibul Hasan, a student of Economics department.

“But seeing the project implementation pace, I am worried when this project will really end or whether we will have benefits at all,” he lamented.

Registrar Prof Taher, however, believes that the project will be completed on time despite the delay in land acquisition.

“In case the deadline needs to be extended, the army will do so,” he said.