Initial Environmental Examination

Project Number: 53382-001 May 2021

Bangladesh: South Asia Sub regional Economic Cooperation Dhaka- Corridor Road Investment Project

Main report vol. 4

Prepared by the Roads and Highways Division, , Dhaka for the Asian Development Bank.

Page i Terms as Definition AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ADB Asian Development Bank AMAN Rice (grown in wet season) APHA American Public Health Association ARIPA Acquisition and Requisition of Immoveable Property Act As Arsenic BD Bangladesh BIWTA Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority BNBC Bangladesh National Building Code BOQ Bill of Quantities Boro Rice (grown in dry season) BRTA Bangladesh Road Transport Authority BWDB Bangladesh Water Development Board CITES Convention on Trade in Endangered Species CO Carbon Monoxide CoI Corridor of Impact CPRs Community Property Resources DMMP Dredged Material Management Plan DC Deputy Commissioner DO Dissolved Oxygen DoE Department of Environment DoF Department of Forest EA Executive Agency ECA Environmental Conservation Act ECR Environmental Conservation Rules EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMP Environmental Management Plan EMoP Environmental Monitoring Plan Engineer The construction supervision consultant/engineer EPAS Environmental Parameter Air Sampler EPC Engineering Procurement and Construction EQS Environmental Quality Standards ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ESSU Environmental and Social Safeguards Unit FC Faecal Coliform FGD Focus Group Discussion FOB Foot Over Bridge GHG Greenhouse Gases GoB Government of Bangladesh GPS Global Positioning System GRC Grievance Redress Committee GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism GSIP Gender and Social Inclusion Plan ha Hectare HYV High Yielded Variety ICTPs International Conventions, Treaties and Protocols IEC Individual Environmental Consultant IoL Inventory of Losses IFC International Finance Corporation IRC Indian Roads Congress IUCN International Union for Conservation and Nature JVC Joint Venture Consultant

Page ii LGED Local Government Engineering Department LRFD Load Factor Resistance Design km Kilometre km/h kilometre per hour NM Noise Measurement NO Nitric Oxide NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide MG Metre Gauge MoEFCC Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change MoRTB Ministry of Road and Bridges O3 Ozone PCU Passenger Car Unit PDPs Project Displaced Persons PM 10 Particulate Matter (less than or equal to 10 microns) PM 2.5 Particulate Matter (less than or equal to 2.5 microns) PPE Personal Protective Equipment PPV Peak Particle Velocity PT Performance Target PWD Public Works Department RoW Right of Way SOx Sulfur Dioxide SPS Safeguards Policy Statement TC Total coliform TDS Total Dissolved Solid TOC Total Organic Carbon TSS Total Suspended Solid TPP Tree Planation Plan UN United Nation VG -40 Viscosity grade-40

Currency Equivalent Weight and Measures (as of 11 Jan 2021) I ha = 2.47 acre Currency Unit = Bangladesh Taka (BDT) 1 ha = 10,000sqm BDT 1.00 = $ 0.1182 1 Acre= 100 decimal $ 1.00 = BDT 84.6

This initial environmental examination is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. Your attention is directed to the “terms of use” section on ADB’s website.

In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.

Page iii CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I I INTRODUCTION 1 A. Background of the Project and Rationale 1 B. Objectives of the Project and Outcome 1 C. Objective of the IEE 3 D. Extent of IEE Study 4 E. Approach and Methodology 5 II POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 8 A. GoB’s Legal Framework and Regulatory Requirements 8 B. Environmental Categorization of the Project by GoB 14 C. Environmental Clearance Procedures 14 D. International Treaties and Commitments 17 E. Specific Rules and Regulations Relevant to Road Projects 18 F. ADB’s Safeguard Policy and Categorization of the Project 22 III DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 24 A. Location of the Project 24 B. Project Category 26 C. Characteristic of the existing Road 27 D. Traffic 31 E. Proposed Upgrading and Improvement of the Project Road 31 F. Construction Materials, Sourcing and Utilities Need 60 G. Social and Resettlement Considerations 63 H. Implementation Schedule of the Project 63 IV DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 64 A. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 64 A. Ecological Environment 94 B. Socio-economic Environment 111 V ANTICIPATED IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 123 A. Methodology of Impacts Identifications 123 B. Screening of Anticipated Impacts 125 C. Assessment of Alternatives (Alignment Options) 133 D. Typical Potential Beneficial Impacts 137 E. Potential Adverse Impacts 137 F. Pre-construction Phase Impacts and Mitigations 137 G. Construction Period Impacts and Mitigations 153

Page iv H. Operational Phase Impacts and Mitigation 191 I. Emergency Response Plan: 206 VI GREEN HOUSE GAS EMISSION 208 A. Climate Change Mitigation 208 VII INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATIONS AND PARTICIPATION 220 A. Objective of the Public Consultation 220 B. Project Stakeholders 220 C. Consultations with Project Affected People/Beneficiaries 220 D. Consultations with Governmental Departments 222 E. Outcome of Consultations 226 F. Disclosure of Information 226 G. Virtual Consultation Meeting on Safeguard Issues 238 VIII GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM 239 A. ADB’s Requirement of Grievance Redress 239 B. Grievance Redress Mechanisms 239 IX ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 242 A. Environmental Management Plan (EMP) 242 B. Environmental Monitoring Program (EMoP) 243 C. Environment Management Budget 244 D. Organisational Set-Up to Implement the EMP 246 X CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 251 BIBLIOGRAPHY 253

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Contract Package-wise Length and Civil Cost ...... 2 Table 2. Bangladesh Policies and Acts Relevant to Environment ...... 11 Table 3. Institutions involved to Permit NOC for Obtaining ECC from DOE ...... 17 Table 4: International Treaties, Conventions and Protocols Signed by GoB ...... 18 Table 5: Relevant to Labor Acts in Bangladesh ...... 22 Table 6. Environmental Regulatory Compliance of the Project ...... 23 Table 7: Existing RoW, Roads Intersections, Built up Areas, CD Structures ...... 28 Table 8: Projected Vehicles and PCU in Six Homogenous Sections ...... 31 Table 9: Adopted Design Criteria for the Project ...... 32 Table 10. Proposed Community Safety Drainage Structures ...... 37 Table 11: New and Reconstruction of Culverts and Bridges ...... 40 Table 12: Proposed Protection Works of the Project ...... 47 Table 13. Basic Road Design Features of the Project Road ...... 48

Page v Table 14. Quantity and Sourcing of Construction Materials ...... 62 Table 15: Name of Ambient Air Quality Testing Locations ...... 68 Table 16: Sensitive Receptors Located Alongside the Project Road ...... 74 Table 17. Flood prone Areas within the Project Alignment ...... 85 Table 18: Annual Maximum and Minimum Water Levels in the Project Area ...... 86 Table 19. Affected Waterbodies within the Proposed RoW...... 87 Table 20: Affected Waterbodies within RoW of the Proposed Realignments ...... 87 Table 21: Names of Surface water Sampling Locations and Sampling ID ...... 89 Table 22: Name of the Sampling Locations of Groundwater ...... 91 Table 23: Protected Areas Located within 10 Km buffer of Project Area ...... 97 Table 24. Affected Trees within the Proposed RoW of the Project ...... 102 Table 25: Presence of Migratory Birds at Rivers Banks of Major Bridge ...... 106 Table 26. Land Type Classes within the Project Districts ...... 111 Table 27: Length of Road under RHD by Road Classification, 2016 ...... 112 Table 28: Land use classification witin 10 km buffer...... 115 Table 29: Population, Sex, HHs Number, Average HH Size and Population Density ...... 118 Table 30: Tribal Population and Tribal Households in Project Areas ...... 119 Table 31: Affected Persons, HHs and Other Entities by the Project ...... 120 Table 32: Distribution of Affected Households/Units under 13 Packages ...... 121 Table 33: Criteria for rating the significance of impacts ...... 125 Table 34: Anticipated Impacts Screening for the Project ...... 126 Table 35. Assessment of Alternative Alignments ...... 134 Table 36. Affected Lands, HHs, Business and CPRs ...... 139 Table 37: Proposed Overpass, Flyover and Rail Overpass ...... 147 Table 38: Proposed FOBs for Community Safety at Sensitive Locations...... 149 Table 39: Homogenous Road Sections Considered in the Modelling Study ...... 157 Table 40: Calculation of Composite Emission Factor ...... 158 Table 41: Discrete Receptor Locations with Respect to the project road ...... 162 Table 42: Predicted GLCs at discreate Sensitive Receptors locations ...... 163 Table 43: Distance-wise Predicted GLCs from edge of project road ...... 165 Table 44. Vibration Source Levels at 25 ft for Construction Equipment...... 170 Table 45. Estimated PPV at various distance from equipment’s in mm/sec...... 171 Table 46. Estimated approximate RMS vibration velocity level (Lv) with distances...... 172 Table 47. Dolphin and Turtle Conservation Measures during Construction Work ...... 183 Table 48. Emission Factors of PM and NOx (2019 and 2038) ...... 193 Table 49. Overall Project Emissions Load of PM and NOx under different scenarios...... 194 Table 50: Vehicle types included in TNM 3.0...... 197

Page vi Table 51: Vehicle speed used in noise modeling...... 198 Table 52: Forecasted Traffic for TNM 3.0 classified Vehicles ...... 199 Table 53: Predicted Noise at Sensitive Receptors with and without Mitigations ...... 201 Table 54: Distance-wise predicted noise level from Road Edge...... 203 Table 55. Traffic Growth for Traffic Forecast Analysis...... 209 Table 56. Homogenous section for TEEMP Modelling...... 210 TTable 57: Maximum PCU based on s tandard Cross-sections...... 211 Table 58. PCU Equivalent in TEEMP Model ...... 211 Table 59. Emission Factors of CO2 for vehicle types (2019 and 20 38)...... 212 Table 60: Fuel type scenario considered in the TEEMP (201 9 and 2038)...... 212 Table 61. Emission Standards of Fleet (%)...... 214 Table 62: Input Parameters for TEEMP...... 216 Table 63. Estimated Total CO2 Emission from Road Construction ...... 216 Table 64. Overall CO2 Emissions of Project ...... 217

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Project Road with Thirteen Contract Package ...... 3 Figure 2. Process for Obtaining an ECC for ‘Red’ Category Project ...... 16 Figure 3: Location Map of the Project Area...... 25 Figure 4: Typical Cross-Sections for Rural and Urban Areas ...... 35 Figure 5: Proposed Bridge Roadway Configuration ...... 43 Figure 6. Large Major Bridges (>100m span) ...... 46 Figure 7: Average Maximum and Minimum Monthly Temperature in Project Area ...... 64 Figure 8: Monthly and Annually Average Rainfall in Project Area...... 65 Figure 9: Average Humidity in Project Area ...... 66 Figure 10: Prevailing Wind Speed and Annual Wind Rose of the Project Area ...... 66 Figure 11. Sampling Locations Map of Ambient Air Quality Testing ...... 68

Figure 12. Ambient Air concentration of PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 in Project Area ...... 71

Figure 13: Ambient Air concentration of CO, O3, TVOC and NO in Project Area...... 72 Figure 14. Sampling Location Map of Noise Level Measurement ...... 73 Figure 15: Noise Level alongside the project road ...... 74 Figure 16: Location Map of Vibration Measurement ...... 77 Figure 17. Vibration Level alongside the Project Road ...... 78 Figure 18. Contour Map of Olipur Realignment under DS-7 ...... 80 Figure 19: Geological Map of the Project Area ...... 81 Figure 20. Soil Texture Map of the Project Area ...... 82 Figure 21: Major Rivers Map of the Project Area ...... 83

Page vii Figure 22: Flood Map of the Project Area ...... 85 Figure 23. Surface Water Sampling Locations Map ...... 89 Figure 24. Results of Surface Water from Six Rivers ...... 89 Figure 25. Sampling Location of Sediment Collection from Six Rivers Crossings ...... 90 Figure 26. Location Map of Groundwater Sampling ...... 92 Figure 27: Concentration of As, Fe and Cr in Groundwater Samples ...... 92 Figure 28: Seismic Zone of the Project Area ...... 93 Figure 29: Bio-ecological Zone Map (IUCN) of the Project Corridor ...... 95 Figure 30: Agro-ecological Zone Map of the Project Corridor ...... 96 Figure 31: Protected Areas Located within 10 Km Buffer of Project Area ...... 98 Figure 32. Wildlife within Project Area ...... 103 Figure 33: Raghunandan Hill Forest Area under DS-7 section ...... 104 Figure 34: Landuse Map from Starting Point Dhaka Katchpur to Bhairab ...... 114 Figure 35: Landuse Map from Bhairab to Shayestaganj ...... 114 Figure 36: Landuse Map from Shayestaganj to Sylhet ...... 115 Figure 37. Landuse Coverage within Proposed RoW of the Project ...... 117 Figure 38: Proposed Viaduct at Raghunandan Hill Section ...... 145 Figure 39: Proposed Box-Culverts at Forest of Raghunandan Hill Section ...... 146 Figure 40: Land Elevation of the Study Area ...... 160 Figure 41: Modelling Base Case Simulation at Sensitive Receptors ...... 161 Figure 42. Bio-Engineering Slope Protection Works...... 175 Figure 43: Time-series of CO2 Emission at Different Scenarios of Project Life...... 218

LIST OF ANNEXURES

Annex 1: Rapid Environmental Assessment ...... 254 Annex 2. Existing Environmental Standard in Bangladesh ECR, 1997 ...... 259 Annex 3: Base-Year and Traffic Forecast as Daily Vehicle-Km...... 265 Annex 4: Justification for Selecting Locations of Ambient Air, Noise and Vibration ...... 266 Annex 5: Ambient Air Quality Testing Results...... 269 Annex 6: Photographs of Air Quality Monitoring...... 270 Annex 7: Noise Monitoring at Different Landuse and Results ...... 272 Annex 8: Photographs of Noise Level Monitoring ...... 273 Annex 9: CPRs Alongside the Existing Road and Realignment Sections ...... 275 Annex 10. Vibration Monitoring locations and Results ...... 289 Annex 11. Photograph of Vibration Measurement ...... 290

Page viii Annex 12: Surface Water and Sediment Samplings locations with Justification ...... 292 Annex 13. Results of Surface Water Quality in Project Area ...... 294 Annex 14. Photograph of Surface Water Sampling ...... 295 Annex 15: Results of Sediment Samples Collected from Six Riverbed...... 298 Annex 16: Photograph of Riverbed Sediment Sampling ...... 299 Annex 17: Test Results of Groundwater Samples ...... 300 Annex 18: Photograph of Groundwater Sampling ...... 301 Annex 19: Affected Trees within Proposed RoW ...... 302 Annex 20. Species Names, Habit, Habitat Type, Local Status of Impacted Trees...... 304 Annex 21: Ground level concentration of Pollutants at various sections ...... 309 Annex 22: Sensitive Noise Receptors from Existing and Proposed Road edge ...... 313 Annex 23: Noise Contour Map of Six Homogenous Sections ...... 317 Annex 24: Attendance Sheets of the Public Consutations ...... 323 Annex 25. Virtual Meeting Minutes of Safeguard ...... 348

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Annex 25. Virtual Meeting Minutes of Safeguard

Virtual Meeting Minutes of Safeguard

Safeguard: Environmental, Social and Resettlement Issues of Dhaka-Sylhet Project 1. Virtual Meeting location: Remote 2. Meeting date:15 September 2020 3. Time: 12.00 hours 4. Participant details: ADB Representatives: 1. Ms. Satomi Sakaguchi, Team Leader, ADB Mission, Manila 2. Ms. Maria Iris Millendez Bombey, Environmental Specialist, ADB, Manila 3. Mr. Manish K. Tiwary, Environmentalist, ADB,

RHD Representative: 1. Mr. Ritesh Barua, Executive Engineer, Sylhet Road Division, RHD

Project Affected Persons: 1. Pir Md. Foyzul Haque, Chairman Lalabazar Union Parishad, Sylhet e-mail: [email protected], Mobile no: +880-1703 285927

2. Md.Mahbubur Rahman, Advocate, Noapara, Lalabazar Sylhet Vill: Fuldi, Post: Lala Bazar,South Surma, Sylhet e-mail: [email protected], Mobile no. +880-01712814884

3. Md. Fozor Ali, Businessman, Bahapur,Sylhet Lalabazar Vill: Bahapur, Post: Lalabazar, South Surma, Sylhet email: [email protected], Mobile no. +880-01711967035

4. Md. Muhid Hussain, AdvocateLalabazar, Sylhet Vill: Jazor,Post: Nazir Bazar, South Surma, Sylhet email: [email protected], Mobile no. +880-01711975154

5. Kayum Ullash, Journalist, Bahapur, Sylhet Vill:Bahapur, Post: Lalabazar, South Surma, Sylhet email: [email protected], Mobile no. +880-01712322340

BCL Representatives: 1. Mr. Kafil Uddin Ahmed. Team Leader, Dhaka-Sylhet 4-Lane Project, Dhaka 2. Mr. Marazul Islam, Highway Engineer, Dhaka-Sylhet 4-Lane Project, Dhaka 3. Dr. Nahid Amin, Environmental Specialist, Dhaka-Sylhet 4-Lane Project, Dhaka 4. Ms. Hasina Khatun, Sociologist, Dhaka-Sylhet 4-Lane Project, Dhaka

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5. Names of important government/public representatives: i) Mr. Ritesh Barua, RHD, ii) Pir Md. Foyzul Haque, Chairman Lalabazar Union Parishad. Stakeholder category: Local administer, businessman, advocate and journalist, RHD, the Client’s representative and ADB professional and Design Consultants.

6. Discussions of the meeting The Team Leader, Design Consultant extended a cordial welcome to all and initiated the meeting on the safeguard issues of the Project with consent from Iris, ADB. Ms. Iris pointed out that this meeting has no agenda, called with a short notice and there is no participant from Social team of ADB. She also questioned about why this meeting is conducted with only five participants from the affected area. Mr. Kafil, leader, Consultant team said that this meeting is conducting to comply the ADB’s safeguard requirement as mentioned in ADB mission during 21 -26 August 2020. ADB mission asked RHD as per SPS, 2009 requirement to conduct a virtual meeting with 5-6 Project affected persons, RHD representative and relevant consultants on environmental, social and resettlement issues of the project. Mr. Ahmed also said that Ester Felix, Social Development / Gender Specialist) e-mailed us to inform that she and Michael Alcazaren, Resettlement Specialist could not attend this virtual meeting as they are conducting a training in Mindanao, Philippines for an ADB funded project. Then Mr. Ahmed asked Dr. Nahid to explain in detail regarding this meeting. Dr. Nahid said that as per ADB’s suggestions, we invited only five affected persons from the different category of professional status to join this virtual meeting. This is a safeguard meeting comprising environmental, social and resettlement issues of the project. In this COVID-19 Pandemic situation we avoided any public consultation meeting at the site with many people. Dhaka-Sylhet Project is a potential and demanding project and all people are aware regarding its implementation. In our previous safeguard meetings more than 100 people attended in Lalabazar. Mr. Ahmed request Mr. Mahbubur Rahman to say his opinion and perception on the proposed project. Mr. Rahman said that upon construction of this alignment, it will bring economic development of this area. This road will pass through the barren lands, low-lying and hoar areas and khas lands. Only a few people will be affected due to land acquisition. Road will go through the Govt. lands also. This area is backward with no transport and electric facilities and business activities. So, construction of this alignment will create economic opportunity and development of this rural area. Mr. Tiwary said the proposed realignment will pass through mostly vacant agriculture land, some lands under position of Govt. lands that are not used for agriculture purpose. Thus, the benefit from the realignment will be manifold compare to loss of lands as condition of the people and economic opportunity will be improved. On the other hand, exiting alignment those are settled or are sitting on both sides of existing road will be unhappy due to construction of new alignment as people looking for their business. When this realignment will be constructed

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then large people of this area may not in favor this alignment. So what is their reaction towards the construction of this proposed alignment? In this regard, Mr. Ahmed said that existing road will be developed as service road and proposed realignment will be main highway and he requested to Mr. Rahman for his opinion. In this regards, Mr. Ahmed said that people will not be unhappy because only in Lalabazar there is business center of this union; and in between Lalabazar and Sylhet city there is no any business center. There will be no significant impact. So businessmen will not be unhappy rather they will be benefited. These people already know this and they are mentally prepared for any acquisition if necessary. If fact, no land acquisition will be required for improvement of this existing road as service road. All people are satisfied for this improvement. Mr. Tiwary asked to check whether any underpass is designed for local people for crossing the realignment from one side to another side for agricultural works and social marginalization of the people from one side to other side, as well as vehicular crossing the proposed highway or not in this 9 km bypass. He proposed for underpass and vehicular underpass provision in this proposed high embankment road for transport of agricultural produce from one side to the other side. Not only for Sylhet alignment, there should be regular and vehicular underpass also be considered for other new alignments. So, local people will be more interested regarding these new alignments. As it is related to community, all bypass should have underpass at regular interval or strategic locations for transport of agricultural produce from one side to the other side of the proposed realignments. Mr. Ahmed said that we will check the provision from highway engineers and reconfirm it. He mentioned that there are some cross roads meet at last part of new alignment and that’s why 2.5 km service road provision are designed at end of this alignment on both sides. Mr. Tiwary advised Dr Nahid to clearly document either in impact assessment chapter or Alternative chapter about these realignments with a comparison between proposed realignments and exiting roads. Mr. Tiwary said that most of the people are in favor of this bypass as average land holding is very less in this area, but particular people at particular holdings may not be happy. He also asked whether there will be any underpass and road furniture are going to provide in proposed realignments area for safety of the community and road users, local people for transport the agricultural products goods and other things. So that social marginalization can be avoided. In this regards Mr. Kafil said, our design team might be addressed the community safety and local users of road in the design provision, and after checking we will let you know. Ms Iris thanked Mr. Tiwary for his comments and said that we received this consultation comments and also requested to Mr. Tiwary and Dr. Nahid for a separate meeting to receive the comments and opinions from other people just in case they have any concern. Mr. Kafil invited other participants to share in the meeting, Pir Md. Foyzul Haque agreed with Mr. Rahman opinion and Mr. Rahman said everything on their behalf. He said that everybody will be benefited by construction of this alignment. He also said that this new bypass will pass through outside of the town. The existing road causes traffic jam and accidents due to movement of long distance heavy vehicles going to Tamabil and Jaflong. If any bypass is constructed in this area it will save Lalabazar from traffic jam and accidents. This bypass road will pass through haor, small hills, khas lands, and uncultivated agricultural lands. Thus it will affect only a few houses located at first village of this union at

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Lalabazar. When this bypass will be constructed then all long distance heavy vehicles will go Tamabil and Jaflong outside the town, as a results present traffic jam and accidents at Lalabazar will be reduced. Mr. Muhid Hossain said these areas are undeveloped for long time and after construction of the bypass this area will be developed. This road will pass through some hilly region of , and beel and haor. Presently the trucks and heavy vehicles in Sylhet district travel to Tamabil through the existing road. After construction of this bypass, road distance will be shortened by 4-5km. Mr. Kafil said this road will not be shortened. In addition to this 9 km new alignment, this existing road will be also developed from Lalabazar to Humayan Chattar in Sylhet then turn to pir Habibur Rahman Chattar as Service road. Ms. Satomi requested to show the road alignment on screen to show the section for which portion we are discussing. Mr. Kafil explained road alignment on screen and said that this section is starting from Lalabazar goes to end of the project at Peer Habibur Rahman Chattar where there is rail over bridge afterward the road continue to Tamabil. Md. Fozor Ali raised his concern regarding the project. He said that due to this bypass many people will be benefited, but at the beginning, the alignment will go through Jamtola bazar, the first village where are a few houses will be affected. In this regard, Team leader said that we will have Resettlement Plan of the project and in accordance with Govt. of Bangladesh and ADB rules. So, all affected people will get compensation. Mr. Ali also said that except for a few houses, this road will pass through uncultivated agricultural and fellow lands, haor and khas lands and will reach to Peer Habibur Rahman Chatter. Mr. Ahmed said that before selecting this alignment our team visited all these areas by walking to find out the lands where loss will be minimum. We always wanted to disturb and affect as much less as possible. He also said to Chairman that we called you to participate in this meeting, because there are some requirement of ADB about local people participation in consultations and discussion and opinion for the project, whether they are wanted this project or not. May be project would not be good for them, they will not beneficiary. Suppose we studied in Dhaka but it be not useful to local people, it should not be done, so we are discussing with you for sharing your opinion about the project. Mr. Ahmed said to Ms. Satomi that for this alignment land acquisition will be at a minimum because most of lands are govt., khas and fellow lands and haor, and disturbance will be less. The businessmen and entrepreneur at the both sides of existing road are did argue for this new alignment as improvement of existing road will also be carried out. The participants expressed approval and gratification with the project. Ms. Satomi advised to document all exchanges are adequately recorded and translated into English so that everybody can be sure about who had spoken and about what. Social detail and addresses of the participants with their gender identity be listed, who responded and who had spoken. Consultant Team Leader said that we have listed of five participants with their address and we will send you. Ms. Irish requested for English translation of the sharing exchanges recording of this meeting.

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Mr. Marazul Islam said that he is recording the meeting. If recording is successfully audible then it will be shared with all. Ms. Nahid Amin wanted to know from Mrs. Iris that whether CRVA report would be one chapter in the IEE report or not. Because Lizandro Recoma, Environmental consultant, ADB advised in his email to be incorporated into IEE report. Ms. Iris said that CRVA report will be a separated report as Mr. Tiwary mentioned and Green Gas Emission chapter would in the IEE report. Mr. Kafil asked Dr. Nahid that during ADB Mission meeting on 18 August 2000. It was decided to submit IEE report on 21 September, if possible. Also asked her did she send her report to Mr. Tiwary by this time. Dr. Nahid replied that she will send the Report on 21 September and she already sent parts of report to Mr. Tiwary. At ending of the session, Ms. Satomi advised to conduct other meeting with more stakeholders of the project. Mr. Kafil said it was decided that RHD will arrange the meeting with local RHD officers. This meeting is conducted by BCL to support RHD. Ms. Satomi requested again preferably for listing of participants recording of this meeting, English translated document and to arrange a separate consultation meeting with more participants of local people in different locations arranged by local RHD personal. With due thanks to participant Ms. Satoma, the Team Leader of Dhaka-Sylhet Project concluded the meeting.

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