Bangladesh Infrastructure: News and Updates

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

New Karnaphuli bridge opens to traffic today

Tuesday, 07 September 2010 23:43

Front Page

New Karnaphuli bridge opens to traffic today

A portion of the Karnaphuli Bridge III in Chittagong has been decorated for its commissioning today. — Saad ShahriarA portion of the Karnaphuli Bridge III in Chittagong has been decorated for its commissioning today. — Saad Shahriar

United News of Bangladesh . Chittagong

The Karnaphuli Bridge-III on the River Karnaphuli opens to traffic today connecting vast areas of southern Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban with rest of the country, ending miseries of the commuters of the region.

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, will formally inaugurate the long-awaited bridge, the longest in Chittagong division, this morning, sources at the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed.

During her Chittagong visit, the prime minister is also scheduled to inaugurate a 150MW peaking power plant at Shikalbaha at 11:30am.

Hasina will fly for the port city from air force’s Dhaka base by a helicopter at 10:00am, said a PMO official.

Before inaugurating the Karnaphuli Bridge at 13:15pm, the prime minister will attend a public rally organised by Chittagong Awami League in the city’s Maijjartek area. She would inaugurate the operation of the Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company.

The prime minister is also scheduled to open the newly-built court building in the afternoon.

The Karnaphuli Bridge is likely to play a vital role in spurring economic activities in the areas, officials said.

The 950-metre long and 24.47-metre wide Karnaphuli Bridge-III — a long-cherished dream of Chittagonians — was scheduled to be completed by September 2009 with 38 months estimated for the implementation of the project.

The existing dilapidated century-old Kalurghat rail-road bridge and renovated Shah Amanat Bridge could hardly cope with the unending flow of vehicular traffic to maintain road communications with the southern region of Chittagong division.

The Karnaphuli Bridge-III project was taken in 2000 and then prime minister Khaleda Zia laid the foundation of the project on April 19, 2003.

Nearly three years had been spent only for mobilising funds for the bridge project. Finally, China Major Bridge Company was given the work order on March 2006 for the implementation of the project.

The design of the bridge had been finalised taking into account the geographical uniqueness, particularly the possible impacts like siltation in the Chittagong port channel.

The bridge can neither be called exclusively of concrete pillars or a hanging one, as it has been designed with the help of the reputed experts taking into consideration the possible navigability threat in the port channel as well as danger from natural disasters like cyclone.

Based on modern technology, the seven-pillar cable-strayed bridge is a unique one in the country.

 

[akash57]

Dhaka, Delhi move ahead with rail-link

New Delhi, Sep 7 (bdnews24.com) — Bangladesh and India have started moving ahead to construct the proposed Akhaura-Agartala rail-link.

Four officials of the Bangladesh Railways on Tuesday held discussions with their counterparts in Indian Railways at Agartala — capital of India's north-eastern state of Tripura. The officials of the two countries also studied the project proposal and discussed possible routes to connect Akhaura with Agartala.

During prime minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi; India and Bangladesh had agreed to lay tracks between Akhaura and Agartala. It was agreed that construction of the proposed rail link would be financed by Indian grant.

A joint team of the railway authorities of the two countries will identify the alignment for connectivity, stated a joint communiqué issued on January 11.

Bangladesh Railway officials visited the Agartala Railway Station on Monday. They also visited Kasba, a village near Bangladesh-India border near Agartala.

Bangladesh's railway line passes by the border village. The Bangladesh Railway officials may have a courtesy meeting with the transport minister of Tripura, Manik De, before returning to Dhaka on Wednesday.

A team of the Indian Railway Construction Company or IRCON had visited Dhaka earlier and held talks with Bangladesh government officials about the link.

According to the initial plan of IRCON, the length of the rail-link was supposed to be approximately 13km. But, according to sources, the route might be changed due to certain technical problems.

Till a few years ago, Tripura only had a nominal rail-head that linked one of its northernmost towns with the neighbouring state of Assam and then with the rest of India.

Agartala was brought within the Indian Railways' network in 2008. The North-Eastern Frontier Railways of the Indian Railways runs passenger trains between Agartala and Silchar in southern Assam.

The Indian government has already initiated works for upgrading the Silchar-Agartala rail-line from metre gauge to broad gauge. Besides, surveys for extending the rail-link to Sabroom in southern Tripura. Sabroom is also close to India-Bangladesh border and just about 70km from Chittagong Port.

New Delhi has been keen to establish the Agartala-Akhaura rail-link as it would pave the way for connectivity between West Bengal and Tripura through Bangladesh.

Dhaka, Delhi move ahead with rail-link | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

 

[akash57]

PM unveils several projects in Ctg

CHITTAGONG, Sept 8: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today unveiled a host of power, infrastructure, communication and tourism projects including upgradation of Dhaka-Chittagong rail and road links and Trans Asian Highway.

She said her government is earnestly trying to solve the power crisis of the country since it is a burning problem.

"We will add another 1600 megawatt power to the national grid by December 2010 to meet the existing demand, apart from implementing projects to raise the electricity generation to 11,000 mw by the year 2015 including a 2000-mw capacity coal-fired power plant in Chittagong," Sheikh Hasina said.

She said this while addressing a mammoth public rally at Moizertec CDA ground off the Third Karnafuli Bridge after commissioning a 150-mw Shikalbaha peak-in power plant today.

"Whenever BNP went to power they tried to turn the country towards militancy for which the country earned bad name abroad. No act of militancy will be tolerated in the country in future," she said.

She warned the opposition against playing with the fate of the people and urged the people to keep alert against those elements.

Presided over by Awami League Chittagong south district president Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu MP the rally was addressed by Primary and Mass Education Minister Afsarul Amin, parliamentary standing committee Chairman ABM Fazle Karim, State Minister for Power Enamul Huq, State Minister for Forest and Environment Hasan Mahmud, Awami League central organising secretary Ahmed Hussain, Anisul Islam Mahmud MP, Moinuddin Khan Badal MP, Bir Bahadur MP and Dipankar Talukdar MP.

The Prime Minister flew to Chittagong by a helicopter of Bangladesh Air Force and landed on the helipad near Karnafuli Third Bridge at 11.25 am.

Thereafter she commissioned the 150-mw Shikalbaha peak-in power plant, opened the Third Karnafuli Bridge to traffic, Karnafuli Gas Distribution Company Ltd and the newly constructed Court Building at an estimated cost of Tk 24000 million (Tk 2400 crore).

Chittagong Development Authority is implementing five flyovers and other projects at an estimated cost of Tk 3500 million.

Sheikh Hasina said initially the Dhaka-Chittagong Road will be up-graded to 4-lane and in phases it will be developed into 6-lane. Projects are underway to upgrade the Dhaka-Chittagong rail line.

Other projects for Chittagong include a flyover from Chittagong airport to Muradpur to save the port city from the nagging traffic jam, capital dredging in the river Karnafuli, construction of a marine drive along the Karnafuli, turning Chittagong Television Centre into a full-fledged station, construction of a stadium in south Chittagong, Trans Asian Highway etc.

Referring to health projects taken up by her government in 1996-2001 the Prime Minister said the 4-party alliance government was engaged in self-development projects curtailing the pro-people projects.

She said her government will again undertake the project to set up community clinics for every 6000 people throughout the country.

PM unveils several projects in Ctg

 

[Skies]

Electronic Payment System for Bangladesh
June 27, 2009
By Nezam Uddin

Today I was reading about electronic payment system in my E-commerce text book. While reading, I was both amazed and frustated to learn about the potentials and weakness of E-payment systems. There was a good list of criteria of ideal payment media. Traditional Cash payment system was qualifying almost all category.

However, like traditionaly payment methods,there are Digital Cash, Online credit card, Online accumulated store account, Online value storage etc. But most widely used media is some Peer-to-peer method like Paypal.

What about Bangladesh? where are we standing? Now days, we are talking much about Digital Bangladesh. Truth is There is no online commerce or e-commerce activity in our country.

Our internet penetration very low, not even 1% of our total population. With such a terrifying low internet penetration, it is a sin to dream of having e-transaction in our country. But there are peoples who, time to time, do Afsos for not having any e-payment like paypal. Some of my friend said in previous classes that, they would buy from internet if they have any payment system.

Most of the IT professional, specially the web development or desigh related people need e-payment system badly. A single Paypal will be a great aid to those needy people. But we are not in the Paypal list. Even Bhutan is on their list!

According my text book, one of the major weakness of those e-payment system working is lack of convertibility of e-currency. The balance in any e-cash account is not convertible like cash without the help of any intermediating third party. Again it also needs special hardware arrangement like computer, internet connection which are barrier to convertibility. Traditional cash payment is easily convertible as it is authorized by a nationala authority.

Here lies the fact. There is also a great problem of Platform Dependence of those payment systems. Digicash dont accept Paypal. A site may support Paypal, may not Digicash. This is a great barrier. This problem was created as there is no common standard provided by any common authority like Federal Reserve Bank or Bangladesh Bank.

For Bangladesh, If governemnt starts working on building a e-payment system, I would suggest that, it should be initiated and authorized by the governement. Government should set up standardards and a authorization body to authorize the E-Taka. That is Government should work like as intermediating authority which will bring a mass acceptance of E-Taka, thus easing the convertibility problem.

I’m thinking of developing a more detail framework for a e-payment system for Bangladesh. Hope to share it with you here in Youthinkers! Keep in touch with this post for future update.

 

[Skies]

Role of Social Business in Globalization
August 29, 2010
By M Rahman

An innovative idea introduced by Dr. Yunus that calls for an welfare approach to economic development going beyond traditional concept of growth is social business. Contrasting to the interpretation of capitalism as a bid among self seeking and profit making entrepreneurs who invest only to maximize profit, social business opts for altruistic entrepreneurs who will be motivated by the interest and pleasure derived from doing good for deprived community. The purpose this humane business is to address all social and economic problems by providing poor with access to capital/credit so that they can define their economic life in a profitable way. The process of social business involves entrepreneurs get return for the same amount of their investment but will not take any profit. Profit will be reinvested to make the business self-sustained and expanded. It’s a non-loss enterprise investing its profit to improve the quality of the service of its concern and gradually increasing its reach to support poor community. The probable sectors of investment will be ensuring poor people’s access to education, health care, basic technology, financial service, nutrition, fresh drinking water and energy security.

Another type of social businesses can be an enterprise with full or majority ownership to the poor where they receive shares of these companies either as gifts from donor countries or agencies, or buy with their own contributions. Profits of these companies will be distributed to owner (poor) as dividend. Many infrastructural can be done in this way.

Globalization tends to be a force where stronger multi-national corporations usually take the advantage and poor communities and countries suffer from the economic exploitation by upper portion of the world economic ladder. This is not the problem of globalization; rather it’s a problem of exploitative economic system run by profit seeking men. The prime role of social business, in this connection, is to give globalization a right and humane flavor in which the benefit of globalization will be retained for the poor people of the poor countries. Struggling against the unequal terms of globalization, it will create opportunity for the poor to own the capital and hence will help to keep profit within the poor communities. Investment of the donors in the sectors of social business will accelerate balanced growth in the developing countries and thereby will improve living conditions of the poorer segments of the society. By protecting the interest of LDCs, it will help to build strong economic foundation in developing countries. Finally, we can say social business will work as a safeguard for poor people in the stream of globalization preventing them economic exploitation and enhancing their socio-economic status in general.

Carol Fenton on August 31, 2010 at 2:33 am

Yunus is completely in touch w/reality. Almost 1/2 the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day, while the rest of the world has more than we require to survive. He’s not saying you, your company or the company you work for cannot make a profit. He’s saying that those who have much need to consider those who have little – and bridging that gap is what his philosophy is all about. People who work hard all day and earn a good salary want to know that their company supports programs – like clean water, food banks and housing – not only in their community, but globally. Now there are questions. Why can’t smaller companies do this, and how can legislation help them.

 

[akash57]

Bangladesh plans billion-USD projects to develop telecom sector

DHAKA, Sep 29, 2010 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The Bangladeshi government as part of its efforts to develop the country's telecommunications sector has taken move to implement seven projects at a cost of nearly 1 billion U.S. dollars, an official said Wednesday.

The telecommunications ministry official told Xinhua that the projects include establishment of a telecommunication network based on next generation networking technology at a cost of 17.25 billion taka ( 25 million U.S. dollars and broadband wireless network costing 5.49 billion taka (7.84 million U.S. dollars).

He said the projects also include expansion of internet information network involving 2.909 billion taka, introducing 3G network costing 19.09 billion taka, building e-post centers at a cost of 5.97 billion taka and IT-based post offices costing 6.04 billion taka.

The seventh is to develop optical fibre cable networks in 1,000 unions, the lowest tire of local government in Bangladesh, costing 7.59 billion taka, he added.

The official could not tell the time frame for completion of the projects on which the government officials concerned are working.

He, however, said many more projects for developing sector are also under planning stage to help transform Bangladesh into a digital country by 2021 which Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her party's election manifesto in December 2008 pledged.

Bangladesh plans billion-USD projects to develop telecom sector

 

[akash57]

100 more BRTC buses on Dhaka roads

Dhaka, May 11 (bdnews24.com)-- Prime minister Sheikh Hasina launched the service of 100 buses of state-run BRTC on different routes in Dhaka.

Procured from China, the buses will hit different Dhaka city routes on Wednesday.

She announced on Tuesday that the government will provide every college in Dhaka city with at least two buses to facilitate easy and safe transportation of the students.

The prime minister said 600 more buses will join the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation fleet in phases under a plan taken to improve the public transport system and ease the traffic gridlock in the capital city.

Hasina said her government was modernising the loss-making corporation, ignoring suggestions to wind up it, to facilitate safe, easy commute for city dwellers.

"Loss is not the only issue to be always considered. We've to consider the convenient transport of the people too," she added.

The prime minister hoped the corporation will become profitable if it delivered professional services.

"Any business organisation can make profit if corruption is stopped and the people there work with utmost sincerity and honesty and with the mentality of serving the people."

The premier asked the BRTC management to fix bus timings taking into consideration the school-college hours so that the students can avail themselves of the services.

Listing her government's plans to ease traffic congestions, Hasina said they are "working relentlessly" to build elevated expressway, waterway, subway, more flyovers and ring-roads.

Steps have also been taken to decentralise the administration for lowering the pressure of people on the city and controlling pollution, she said.

She urged all to abide by the traffic law.

The prime minister handed over keys of eight buses to the vice-chancellors of Dhaka, Jahangirnagar and Jagannath universities and principal of Eden Girls' College.

Communications minister Syed Abul Hossain, roads and highway department secretary Md Mozzammel Haque Khan and BRTC chairman MM Iqbal, among others, spoke on the occasion.

100 more BRTC buses on Dhaka roads | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

 

[akash57]

Govt buying over 1000 buses for Dhaka

Dhaka, Oct 2 (bdnews24.com)–The government is importing 1125 buses to ease pressure on public transport in the capital, the communications minister has said.

"We will import 150 buses from China, 300 buses from South Korea and 650 buses from India," Syed Abul Hossain said.

He made the disclosure at a seminar on national communication infrastructure organised by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) on Saturday.

"Three hundred general, 300 double-decker and 50 articulated buses will be imported from India while another 150 air conditioned and 150 non-A/C buses will be imported from South Korea," he added.

He went on to say that contracts with the companies to build the Elevated Expressway in the capital will be signed by December.

"Construction of the Elevated Expressway will start at the beginning of next year and the project is estimated to cost around 3 billion dollars," said the minister.

He alleged that the BNP-led coalition government destroyed the railway. "But we are committed to rebuilding the sector."

"We have already decided to procure machineries worth Tk 60 billion to develop the railway."

The minister also claimed that the GDP will rise by 1.3 percent and the economy of south and southwestern regions of the country will grow 3 percent once the Padma bridge opens to traffic.

Answering businessmen, the communication minister said, "We have plans to expand the existing two-lane highway between Dhaka and Chittagong to four lanes. At the same time, we will leave a five-foot gap between the two roads to allow construction of a high-speed express rail track."

Institute of Development Strategy chairman Mustafizur Rahman in the keynote paper pointed out that more emphasis should be put on the development of the mass transit systems than on building expressways to aid regular commuters.

Govt buying over 1000 buses for Dhaka | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

 

[Skies]

Bangladesh: Digitizing Land Records to Combat Corruption
Posted 19 September 2010

Corruption is rampant in Bangladesh. In 2009, the country ranked 139 out of 180 in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. Of the various sectors in Bangladesh that are affected by corruption, the Land Management System is among the worst. Corruption has been highlighted as the main reason behind slow, poor quality and faulty land related services in the country.

Given the absence of a transparent system, bribery and other irregularities are common. People in the administration who are responsible for creating and maintaining land records often prepare incorrect records intentionally, and land owners are forced to pay bribes to officials to get the records approved. Officials and surveyors are often in cahoots with touts and land sharks; cases abound where people have paid bribes to officials and/or surveyors and gotten land ownership transferred/recorded illegally in their names, leaving the real owner(s) running pillar to post to get justice. In 2006 alone, bribes worth about 83 billion Bangladeshi Taka were paid for land related services such as registration and altering of records.

Over 3.2 million land-related cases are pending before the judiciary in Bangladesh. This huge figure does not take into account the large number of the aggrieved who do not feel empowered enough to approach the courts for litigation. Land disputes often lead to violence and criminal offenses. It is said that 80 percent of criminal offenses today stem from land disputes.

To deal with these problems of fraud and corruption, the government is working to digitize the land records and the land management system to infuse some level of transparency and accountability into the sector and curb the rampant corruption. Currently, a digital database has been created for Dhaka city, and over 0.42 million land records have been uploaded into the database, which is soon to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Other initiatives, either private or public sector led, are being actively considered. For example, Terra Tech Ltd, a conglomerate of 10 local IT Companies, has proposed a digital mapping and land revenue management system, which has received the green light from the government. The department hopes that these initiatives will be steps in the right direction for implementing the government's Vision 2021 of a Digital Bangladesh and will usher in a more effective land management system in Bangladesh.

However, concerns have been raised regarding the limited success of past endeavors, which were localized and used different assumptions and follow-up actions. There is a growing realization and acknowledgment of the fact that isolated initiatives will not do much good. A consolidated plan has to be worked out under the public-private partnership (PPP) umbrella. In a recent dialogue [BN] on the effective use of ICT in the arena of Land Management, the Assistant Country Director of UNDP Bangladesh, Mr. K.A.M Morshed, presented a paper titled “Strategic Priorities of Digital Bangladesh: Land”, which stressed the need for a correct database through proper surveys, the creation of digital land zoning systems (namely GIS based maps with zones), a digital land registration system, and an up-to-date digital land information system integrated with the voter/national ID database that would offer easy access, search and verification facilities, and a digital land revenue tracking and management system.

In one of his articles on Digital Land Systems [BN] on the blog Blogymate, Mustafa Jabbar, who is the proprietor of the Bijoy Bangla software and keyboard in Bangladesh, has pointed out that the mere digitization of land records will not be enough to achieve transparency and accountability. According to him, a complete overhaul of the land related laws and the current mechanism of service delivery is needed, as the current system is pretty much archaic. Mr. Jabbar states that the new, automated land information system should have an integrated approach so that a person searching the database can get all information pertaining to the land at one glance: ownership, registration, mutation, transfer, disputes, judicial cases, land map, taxes paid and pending, land related wills and such other legal documents. Furthermore, he feels that having all of this information is not enough. It needs to be made accessible to people in an easy, user-friendly manner, not only via the Internet but through the telephony system as well. According to him, just as a consumer can now access his/ her telephone bill from home through the interactive voice response system, it should be as easy for a person to access land related information.

There is a lot of hope riding on the effective use of ICT in the Land Management System of Bangladesh to usher in modernization, user-friendliness, transparency and accountability in this very important sector.
By Aparna Ray · Posted 19 September 2010

 

[Kharavela]

I would really like to see and happy and rich bangladesh...keep posting good news and developmental activities

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Dhaka seeks $1.2b Chinese credit to fund deep sea port

Monday, 11 October 2010 20:41

Dhaka seeks $1.2b Chinese credit to fund deep sea port

Dhaka seeks $1.2b Chinese credit to fund deep sea port
Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Bangladesh has sought $1.2 billion in loans from China to help finance the planned deep sea port at Sonadia as it has initiated move to mobilise funds.

China's recent interest in financing Asian ports has led the government to explore the Chinese involvement as a co-financier in the multi-billion dollar project, an official of the Shipping Ministry said.

The port is slated for completion in three phases and the annual container handling capacity of the Sonadia port is estimated to be 3.0 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) and the bulk cargo handling to be 100 million tonnes.

The government will provide 30 per cent of the Tk 150 billion project, with the rest coming in from domestic and external sources, the official said.

He said that Chittagong Port Authority was expected to give Tk 10 billion while the development budget will make up the government portion.

If operational, the port will become a major hub in the region, providing services to Nepal, Bhutan, southern China, Myanmar and the northeastern region of India.

The official said mother vessels can also berth at the proposed port given Sonadia's draught and it will reduce the trade costs of the local businessmen.

The port will be connected through a bridge of 10-12 kilometre long at Cox's Bazar and 40-kilometres of railway tracks and roads between Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, he said.

Another shipping ministry official said the government is drafting a law to regulate the proposed Deep Sea Port Authority.

The draft is almost finalised and the ministry will send it soon to the Law Ministry for vetting, he said, adding, "It is expected that the bill can be placed by early next year."

The bill will include definition, formation of the authority, its scope and general authority provisions, the official said.

Pacific Consultants International (PCI) of Japan submitted a detailed study report on the feasibility of the deep-sea port in April.

The first phase of the deep-sea port, to be completed by 2016, will have two harbours of nine 300-metre (long) jetties along with the required infrastructure and back-up facilities, the PCI study report said.

The second phase, to be completed by 2035, would see two more harbours with the same specifications. The deep-sea port would ultimately have six harbours when the third phase is completed by 2055.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Deal to set up 4000 mw power plants by Dec

Wednesday, 13 October 2010 00:00

The New Nation - Internet Edition

Deal to set up 4000 mw power plants by Dec
UNB, Dhaka

The government is set to signup deals in a couple of months for setting up power plants of 4000mw, informed Taufiq-e-Elahi, PM's Adviser on power yesterday.

"So far, we have signed deals for plants having a total capacity of 2500mw. Deals for another 1,500mw will be signed by the end of the current year," he told reporters at a power plant contract signing ceremony at Budduyt Bhaban in the city.

Newly created state-owned North-West Power Generation Company Ltd (NWPGCL) signed the contract with China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC) to build a 150mw duel-fuel power plant in Sirajganj. Site for the plant has been selected at west bank of Jamuna River near the Jamuna multipurpose bridge.

As per the deal, CMC will install the power plant on a turn-key basis at a cost of Tk 799.29 crore by May 2012.

However, the total cost of the project was estimated at Tk 962.50 crore. The government and Asian Development Bank will finance the project. NWPGC will implement the project to improve the power supply situation in the country's North-West region. Vice President of CMC Li Guohua and Secretary of the NWPGCL Dipak Kumar Dhali signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

The plant will be operated by natural gas when it is available.

Otherwise, it will run by liquid fuel-diesel.

The function was also addressed by State Minister for Power and Energy Mohammad Enamul Haque, Power Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and Chinese Ambassador Zhang Xianyi. Senior officials of PDB and NWPGCL attended. Terming the contract an important milestone for the country's ailing power sector, Elahi said it testifies that the government is trying hard to resolve the nagging power crisis.

 

[fallstuff]

Proposed Elevated Expressway

Cost estimate too high


Local experts are working to scale down the construction cost of the proposed Dhaka Elevated Expressway to $25 million (Tk 175 crore) for each kilometre from $75 million estimated by a foreign consultant.

AECOM Australia Propriety Ltd, the international consultant for the Dhaka Elevated Expressway, estimated the total cost at $2 billion for 26 kilometres or $75 million (Tk 525 crore) per km. It includes a 4 km approach road.

In local and regional context, an expert committee on the DEE at a recent meeting decided to cut the construction expenses down to one-third of the amount the consultant assessed.

Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), the implementing agency for the DEE, has hired two teams of experts -- one from the Infrastructure Investment Facilitation Centre (IIFC), a state-owned company, and the other from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) -- to recalculate the cost.

The technical team from Buet will ascertain the actual cost while IIFC will chalk out a financial model on how to get the return on the investment.

BBA Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said, "We will not take the consultant's estimation into consideration."

"If the cost is high, the concessionaire (private investor) will demand a much longer concession period," he said.

The BBA had objected to the exorbitant cost but the consultant argued that the cost was estimated in keeping with the international standards, said Bhuiya.

Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, head of the expert committee, said, "The cost reduction will not compromise quality of the expressway. We will bring the estimated cost down to one-third."

India has recently built a four-lane 9 km elevated way (Silk Board to Electronic City) in Bangalore, he said, the construction cost of the facility was $20 million a kilometre. One more example of the similar cost is Narsimha Rao elevated way in Hyderabad.

Prof Chowdhury said the expert committee requested the consultant to bring the cost down to 30 percent of what they had estimated. But the consultant had argued their payment was already made and it required additional fees to do the job, he added.

According to Prof Md Shamsul Hoque, another committee member, the per kilometre cost of recently built Tejgaon overpass was less than Tk 100 crore, Tk 76 crore for 1.6-kilometre Khilgaon flyover, Tk 80 crore for proposed Kuril interchange (flyover), and Tk 135 crore for proposed Jatrabari-Gulistan Flyover while Tk 80 crore for the proposed Mirpur-Zia Colony flyover.

The government, as its equity share, will provide the concessionaire with the land, facilitate handover of the route, carry out relocation of utility services, remove any occupancy and rehabilitate the affected people.

The expert committee decided that the government would not invest any fund but do everything to hand over the route to the concessionaire.

The government will handover one-third of the route at the time of signing the agreement, one-third after six months and the rest after one year of the signing.

The Buet team including civil and structural experts will carry out environmental impact assessment, land survey, land scheduling, and help rehabilitation to rationalise the cost.

Despite repeated attempts, neither Nazrul Islam, the executive director of IIFC, nor any of his deputies were available for comment on how they would do the job.

link:

Cost estimate too high

 

[integra]

hope the thing doesn't fall apart by reducing the costs. The local engineers have zero aesthetic sense by the way.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Deals signed for 2 power plants

Monday, 18 October 2010 21:43

Deals signed for 2 power plants

Deals signed for 2 power plants
Unb, Dhaka

The government yesterday signed two contracts with Chinese company Dongfang Electric International Corporation to set up two more peaking power plants in Shantahar and Katakhali of the northern region.

Each of the plants run by furnace oil will have 50 megawatts generation capacity.

The two projects are part of the government's move to install a number of peaking power plants across the country to resolve the nagging power crisis.

As per the contracts, the contractor will complete the installation job within next 15 months from the date of contracts. Each of the plants will cost Tk 69 crore.

Earlier, the government signed a number of contracts with some other contractors to set up eight peaking power plants.

As per the two contracts, the Chinese contractor will supply and install the Shantahar and Katakhali plants on turnkey basis.

The state-owned Power Development Board (PDB) has undertaken the two projects to meet the demands in power hungry areas.

PDB Secretary Md Azizul Islam and Dongfang President Luo Zhi Gang signed the contracts on behalf of their respective sides.