3 crucial deals in a week
Bangladesh Railway will sign contracts for three crucial projects worth around Tk 2,000 crore within a week to improve train service between Dhaka and Chittagong.
Of them, the deal for remodelling Chittagong Station Yard will be inked today, railway officials said yesterday.
The contract for upgrading Laksam-Chinki Astana single-line will be signed on Thursday while the deal for purchasing 11 MG locomotives on Sunday.
“Train services between Dhaka and Chittagong will improve after completion of the projects,” Abu Taher, director general of the BR told The Daily Star.
Local Max Automobile Company will get the Tk 250-crore job of remodeling the Chittagong Station Yard. Of the sum, Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) will give Tk 237 crore, and the government will provide the rest.
Project director Noor Mohammad, however, said Jica may agree to fund the entire project.
The project was undertaken in 2007, and is supposed to be completed by 2014.
Marubeni Corporation, a Japanese firm, has got the Tk 291-crore project for purchasing 11 Metre Gauge locomotive by next year.
Most of the money for this project is to come from Jica. The total cost of the project will stand at Tk 374 including CD and vat, said Project Director Md Shamsuzzaman.
Upgrading the 61km Laksam-Chinki Astana single-line rail track into a double track is the most crucial of the three projects.
Project Director SM Liakot Ali said three companies, two Chinese and one Bangladeshi, got the contract of the project worth Tk 1,301 crore.
He said China Railway Material Import and Export Co Ltd along with another Chinese firm, Chentu Ranken Railway Construction Co Ltd and Bangladeshi Max Automobile Products Ltd will do the job in two years.
Jica will provide some assistance to this project.
Five projects, including these three, were undertaken in 2007.
The two other projects are improvement of Pahartoli Railway Workshop and Consulting Engineering Services for Dhaka-Chittagong Development Project and Skill Development Programme.
Sources said deals for these two projects will also be signed soon.
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