12 Megaprojects to Go Live in Three Months (Bengali Video)

[leonblack08]

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Both BD and Pakistan are following a wrongheaded approach by giving contract to military. I do not think this thing happens in any other countries.

1) A project is conceived by the related govt organization,
2) A survey company is asked to do Level Surveying and others
3) the govt office finalized the construction site
4) A design/ consulting company is asked to do a rough design (not final) and estimates the Quantities of Works,
5) the govt body evaluates the Quantities, the needed man-months for completion,
6) the govt body decides the required period of time to complete the Design Analysis, drafting the Drawings, and
7) finally, the govt office floats tender whereby a Construction Company is awarded the Project.

Above is the approximate normal procedure in any country other than our two Golden countries. Other countries employ local Survey company, Design Offices and Construction Companies.

This is how these companies build up experience and gradually undertake difficult jobs.

Here, either we ask foreign money and award projects to foreign companies or to our military. Foreign companies know all the International Codes and Standards. They follow these while doing design analysis of structures, roads, port, bridges and everything that we see standing on the soil.

I do not think our military engineering department knows anything about design analysis. They use ‘rule of thumbs’. This is why the structures are over designed or under designed.

I ask people to notice the structures built by Japanese companies. They always follow the codes and standards.

Good points. I don't have knowledge on civil engineering, so can't comment on the skills of Army Engineers.

In my opinion, it is okay for army Engineers to build roads and small bridges as it gives them experience related to their job, but it is not normal for army Engineers to be involved in major construction projects as if it is their primary role.

People can argue that at least we are using the army for something economically productive. But we should not forget, the whole issue of BDR mutiny was related to BDR jawans being used in a commercial role. BAL and India took advantage of that chaos to commit the murders.

This is why I am not a big fan of using army for larger construction projects. These are civil activities and should be done by civilians.

 

[Bilal9]

Good points. I don't have knowledge on civil engineering, so can't comment on the skills of Army Engineers.

In my opinion, it is okay for army Engineers to build roads and small bridges as it gives them experience related to their job, but it is not normal for army Engineers to be involved in major construction projects as if it is their primary role.

People can argue that at least we are using the army for something economically productive. But we should not forget, the whole issue of BDR mutiny was related to BDR jawans being used in a commercial role. BAL and India took advantage of that chaos to commit the murders.

This is why I am not a big fan of using army for larger construction projects. These are civil activities and should be done by civilians.

I respectfully beg to differ.

We should keep in mind (and not pay heed to the rantings of the uninformed India-shill people having scarce experience with planning of large projects) that the largest engineering organization of the world doing capital projects like large-scale river dredging, dams, locks, river-training projects (and generally all hydrology related projects in the US at least) is the US Army Corps of Engineers.

They also construct large scale roads/highway projects and entire infra for some of the huge Army bases in the US and overseas (Japan, Korea, Taiwan etc.).

There is nothing wrong with the Bangladesh Army 24th Engineering Battalion constructing roadways. One thing to remember is that they are corruption free and projects do get completed on time. Plus Army doesn't give two $hits to goondas and local Mastans (elakar boro bhai) opposing projects.

These India-shill people will always oppose Bangladesh Army's involvement in Bangladeshi Capital Projects. Hatirjheel and Jolshiri are being constructed by the army, I see nothing wrong with the execution of these projects by the Army.

In wartime and peacetime, their involvement (the expertise they bring for large scale projects) is quite beneficial to us and all countries of the world (UN missions). We need to grow this expertise within the Army and improve on it.

United States Army Corps of Engineers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[leonblack08]

I respectfully beg to differ.

We should keep in mind (and not pay heed to the rantings of the uninformed India-shill people having scarce experience with planning of large projects) that the largest engineering organization of the world doing capital projects like large-scale river dredging, dams, locks, river-training projects (and generally all hydrology related projects in the US at least) is the US Army Corps of Engineers.

They also construct large scale roads/highway projects and entire infra for some of the huge Army bases in the US and overseas (Japan, Korea, Taiwan etc.).

There is nothing wrong with the Bangladesh Army 24th Engineering Battalion constructing roadways. One thing to remember is that they are corruption free and projects do get completed on time. Plus Army doesn't give two $hits to goondas and local Mastans (elakar boro bhai) opposing projects.

These India-shill people will always oppose Bangladesh Army's involvement in Bangladeshi Capital Projects. Hatirjheel and Jolshiri are being constructed by the army, I see nothing wrong with the execution of these projects by the Army.

In wartime and peacetime, their involvement (the expertise they bring for large scale projects) is quite beneficial to us and all countries of the world (UN missions). We need to grow this expertise within the Army and improve on it.

United States Army Corps of Engineers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I understand your point. You are completely right when it comes to project completion, no civilian contractor can compete with the army. No local goons can delay the project either.

I am all for them building roads in rural and remote areas, because that's related to their job as army engineers. I am just not in favor of them being involved in other mega urban construction projects and business projects.

As I said before, when money gets involved things tend to go south. We have a history of outsiders using these non-military activities to weaken the force from within. We saw it with BDR mutiny and we can see it with Pakistan army too.

 

[Bilal9]

I understand your point. You are completely right when it comes to project completion, no civilian contractor can compete with the army. No local goons can delay the project either.

I am all for them building roads in rural and remote areas, because that's related to their job as army engineers. I am just not in favor of them being involved in other mega urban construction projects and business projects.

As I said before, when money gets involved things tend to go south. We have a history of outsiders using these non-military activities to weaken the force from within. We saw it with BDR mutiny and we can see it with Pakistan army too.

Locally, the largest contractors having expertise in urban mega projects and especially commercial infra construction is MAXX (Railways) and Abdul Monem (Padma Bridge approach and auxiliary roads), then there are also Toma Construction, and Naif Builders who are at the second tier but still large. Most very large factory PreFab Metal structures have been made locally for at least a couple of decades (and even exported overseas).

But something the scale of constructing the 3rd Terminal in Dhaka Airport is not within the reach of local contractors (I guess CAAB did not trust local contractors, only local subcontractors to Mitsubishi, Fujita and Samsung C&T). Bangladesh is a small place and regrettably, we have not cultivated (and groomed) local construction companies over foreign ones. Our corrupt politicians and non-accountability is to be blamed.

That is why we are paying three to five times what it costs in other places (for example, Indonesia and India) to construct something, especially when Japanese and Korean contractors are involved.

The pro is,

- We are getting things constructed by world class standards as foreign loans are involved.

And the Cons however are,

- Projects cost too much money (however no guarantee of lower costs if local contractors would be involved, given their sad reputation)
- There is scarcely any tech transfer going on. Maybe some, in the case of the Metro MRT, Karnaphuli Tunnel, Rooppur Nuclear Power and of course the 3rd Terminal in Dhaka Airport.

Could the Bangladeshi subcontractors compete (or even get jobs) overseas with the expertise gained? It remains to be seen.

 

[Bilal9]

China CCCC helps connect the two sides of Karnaphuli river in Chittagong, Bangladesh​

The tunnel stretches 9.29 kilometers long
https://www.dhakatribune.com/326799

File image of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mubjibur Rahman Tunnel project. Photo: Collected
Tribune Desk

Publish : 01 Oct 2023, 08:18 PMUpdate : 01 Oct 2023, 08:58 PM

When open to traffic in October this year, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel in Chattogram will further improve the transportation connectivity in the port city and beyond.

The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mubjibur Rahman Tunnel project, funded by Chinese Government Concessional Loan and Chinese Preferential Export Buyer’s Credit loan, commenced its construction in December, 2017 by China Communications Construction Co., Ltd (CCCC).

It is the first underwater tunnel in Bangladesh, and also the first overseas large-diameter underwater tunnel built by a Chinese company with the Tunnel Boring Machine(TBM).

The design, procurement and construction general contracting (EPC) model is applied for the project management.

The tunnel stretches 9.29 kilometers long, including 3.315 kilometers of the main tunnel.

It applies Chinese standard in a two-way and four-lane expressway model, with a design speed of 80 kilometers per hour. When open to traffic, the tunnel will significantly improve the traffic conditions in Chattogram and promote economic development of the country.

 

[saif]

Thank you China for the tunnel This tunnel is the symbol of Bangla-China friendship

 

[Bilal9]

The record of Chinese-completed projects in terms of quality and speed of completion have been nothing short of spectacular.

Add to that the bonus of lower cost, lower than even India in many cases.

For Bangladesh - China is the first choice for mega-project partnerships.

 

[saif]

For Bangladesh - China is the first choice for mega-project partnerships.

This will help us both economically and strategically.

 

[Bilal9]

14 lane Dhaka Purbachal expressway current status

Dhaka Airport Terminal 3 latest status

Dhaka Elevated Expressway (Skyway) 2nd Phase status

 

[Bilal9]

Bangladesh is now the 33rd Nuclear-Technology capable country, committed toward peaceful uses.

 

[Bilal9]

Dhaka Airport to get 2nd Runway

 

[Bilal9]

Interesting day today as the draft master plan for the construction of Bay-Terminal in Chittagong has been completed.

The Foreign-invested Project will reportedly cost $5 Billion which is now awaiting government approval.

Dubai DP World and Singapore's PSA are involved.

However, there are still complications with the 790 acres of land. Construction work to commence in Q2 2024.

 

[saif]

Should have given the project to a Chinese company. We did not give the Sonadia deep sea port project to China so this bay terminal project could have been a consolation project for the Chinese.

 

[Bilal9]

Should have given the project to a Chinese company. We did not give the Sonadia deep sea port project to China so this bay terminal project could have been a consolation project for the Chinese.

There are plenty of other larger projects where Chinese contractors will do well.

Power Stations, Railway Infra and Metros are just the start. China has strengths in high tech, we need help in those areas, like building very large datacenters, telecom infra, fiber optic infra etc.

And the Chinese are getting their own EPZ too (Anowara, Chittagong), there will be investments in those places as well.

 

[Bilal9]

Today is the soft launch for the Dhaka Airport 3rd Terminal. Some videos.