Bridges Division, army to sign deal

Communications ministry's Bridges Division will sign a Tk 133 crore deal with Bangladesh Army today for supervision consultancy work of two approach roads and two service areas of the Padma bridge project.
The approach roads and service areas will be constructed at both ends of the bridge at a total cost of about Tk 1,600 crore, Shafiqul Islam, project director of Padma bridge project, told The Daily Star.
Earlier on August 20, Communications Minister Obaidul Quader announced that the consultancy work would be given to the army.
“Army will do the supervision consultancy work for three years so that construction of the approach roads and service areas are done properly,” added Shafiqul.
A Bangladesh-Malaysian joint venture company is constructing the approach road and service area at Janjira point of the project under a Tk 1,097 crore agreement.
Another tender of about Tk 440 crore has been finalised for building the other approach road and service area at Mawa point of the project.
The government decided to construct the 6.12km bridge with its own fund as the World Bank and three other  international donors declined financing for it in June last year for alleged corruption in the project.
On June 26, the government floated tender for construction of the main bridge and asked the pre-qualified firms to submit bids by November 4. The estimated construction cost of the main bridge is Tk 11,829 crore.