BR hires joint venture for projects
Bangladesh Railway yesterday hired a joint-venture firm to carry out preparatory works for several upcoming projects, including building a new rail line from Dhaka to Cumilla via Narayanganj.
Mahbubur Rahman, director of Railway Connectivity Improvement Preparatory Facility Project, and Yuji Asano, general manager (Dhaka office) of Oriental Consultants Global -- the firm representing the joint venture -- signed the contract at the capital's Rail Bhaban.
The consortium of Japan's Oriental Consultant Global, France's EGIS and Malaysia's HSS will carry out feasibility studies, prepare detailed designs and conduct other related works for 11 sub-projects. They are supposed to complete the works within 30 months at a cost of Tk 193.64 crore.
The JV will be assisted by five local companies -- KS Consultants Ltd, SODEV Consult International Ltd, STRATEGI consulting Company Ltd, DevConsultants Ltd and SARM Associates Ltd.
The new chord linefrom Dhaka to Cumilla via Narayanganj is expected to reduce the distance between Dhaka and Chattogram by 90 kilometres and travel time by one-and-a-half hours, said BR officials.
The existing Dhaka-Chattogram rail line, which goes through Tongi-Bhairab-Akhaura-Cumilla-Laksham, has a distance of 320 kilometres.
Apart from the chord line, the consulting firm will also carry out the feasibility study and prepare a detailed design for a new bridge parallel to the existing century-old Hardinge Bridge over the Padma River in BR's western zone.
The firm will also assess the future demand for rolling stocks, prepare core and non-core business plans for BR and carry out a need analysis for establishing a signalling training centre for BR, among other assignments.
In June 2020, the government approved the Tk 235.37-crore Technical Assistance Project, with the Asian Development Bank providing Tk 167.14 as a loan. The deadline for the project is December this year, implying that it will be extended.
BR Director General Quamrul Ahsan said among the sub-projects, the chord line and second Hardinge bridge are urgent.
"We are requesting you to complete the works [regarding the two projects] at the earliest, so that we can take investment projects," he told the firms.
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said many projects are not completed citing different excuses. "We hope they will complete the work in time, if possible before the time."
He suggested keeping a provision in future projects which will ensure action against contractors or consultants upon failure to meet project deadline.
Railways Ministry Secretary Humayun Kabir chaired the contract-signing programme.
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