"We are ready with money and technology to start the project immediately," Chairman of the consortium Haji Mannan Bin Amir, who led a seven-member delegation, told Communications Minister Nazmul Huda.

Malaysian Alliance Merchant Bank Director Francis Thong was also in the delegation that called on the minister yesterday.

The Azimat Consortium comprising six Malaysian companies last year proposed to invest over $900 million in Bangladesh and construct the 210-kilometre long four-lane ultramodern expressway between Dhaka and Chittagong.

This project of the expressway with an alignment different from the existing Dhaka-Chittagong highway is to be implemented in five years.

At the meeting with the minister, the delegation also discussed bank-financing, setting up of the project office and engineers' visit to the project site.

Communications Secretary Shafiqul Islam, Chief Engineer of Roads and Highways Department A R M Anwar Hossen and other high officials of the communications ministry were present at the meeting.

The construction of Dhaka-Chittagong expressway was one of the priority projects of the present government, the meeting was told.

The project would be implemented on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis, where the company will invest money and get return through toll collection for thirty years.

The project got approval from the Private Infrastructure Committee under Bangladesh Private Infrastructure Guideline.

The proposal is now waiting for final approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, the meeting was told.

The Dhaka-Chittagong expressway will cross Naryanganj, Munshiganj, Chandpur, Sonagaji Laxmipur Sitakunda and Hathajari.

The expressway will provide adequate parking, refuelling stations, restaurants and rest house facilities at certain distances for the travellers.

The Malaysian consortium will also construct two new bridges over the Shitalakkhya and Meghna rivers.

The consortium, however, sought ten years tax holiday from the year it starts collecting tolls.