Indo-Bangla Connecting Road: Expansion work starts three years after approval

The physical work to expand the 38km road that connects the Bangladesh-India border with the Dhaka-Chattogram highway has finally started, after around three years of the project's approval.

The Baraiyerhat-Heanko-Ramgarh road would be expanded from 5.5 metres to 11.30 metres under the Indian Line of Credit aiming to broaden the bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday joined the ceremony of the road-widening works as chief guest virtually from Dhaka.

The project would contribute to improving the road network between the Chattogram port and the Ramgarh land port and open the door for bilateral trade between Bangladesh and India through the Sabram/Ramgarh land port, according to the project documents. It will also help to expand business and tourism in Khagrachhari district.

Ecnec approved the project in August 2020, to complete it within June 2022 at a cost of Tk 848.3 crore.

However, the physical works of the project even could not be started within the deadline mainly due to a lengthy tendering process, forcing the authorities to extend both the deadline and the project cost, said RHD officials.

After the revision, the project cost rose to Tk 1,107.12 crore, while the deadline has been set for December next year, according to the documents. Of the total cost, India will provide Tk 594.07 crore while the Bangladesh government will provide Tk 513.05 crore.

Project Director Mohammad Jahed Hossain, also the superintendent engineer of RHD Chattogram Circle, the implementing agency of the project, said the price of the contract was higher than what was mentioned in the original Development Project Proposal. Following the instruction of the Cabinet Committee for Government Purchase, they had to revise the project before getting approval for the contract.

The project will be implemented under three packages -- packages 1 and 2 for civil/physical works and package 3 for tree plantation, he said.

RHD, on April 4, hired Indian company Ashoka Buildcon Limited for packages 1 and 2. The company is scheduled to complete the work within two years at a cost of Tk 683.72 crore.

Apart from expanding the 38km road, they will either build or expand nine bridges and 23 culverts, according to the project document.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma was also present at the programme.