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Dev projects in Bangladesh face Wuhan virus fallouDev
Shakhawat Hossain | Published: 00:03, Feb 05,2020 | Updated: 13:39, Feb 05,2020
https://www.newagebd.net/article/98639/dev-projects-in-bangladesh-face-wuhan-virus-fallout
The county’s major development projects being executed by Chinese firms have started feeling pinches of the coronavirus fallout.
At least four dozens of Chinese nationals, who arrived in the country last week in connection with three infrastructure projects of bridges division and Bangladesh Railway, were quarantined, said the project directors while talking to New Age on Tuesday.
The projects are Padma Multipurpose Bridge, Padma Rail Link and Karnaphuli Tunnel with the formers being implemented by both the Chinese technical and financial assistance.
The projects directors said Chinese officials and technicians flown back home almost a month ago were advised to stay in China until further notice.
Besides, new recruitment from China was suspended, they said.
Padma Bridge project director Shafiqul Islam said on Monday that at least 30 Chinese arriving to the country in last seven days ago were kept in an isolated place.
China Major Bridge Engineering Company Ltd is constructing the main part of Padma Bridge, and another Chinese company Sinohydro Corporation Ltd is implementing the river training of the same project. The project, according to the project director, is yet to face any major setback amid coronavirus outbreak that caused death of 425 persons and infected 19,550 in China until February 4.
But the most priority project of the present government scheduled to be completed by June 2021 would face adverse impact if the present situation prevailed, said Shafiqul Islam.
Security concern has taken the centre stage of the Chinese dominated projects in the country since corona has been regarded as a deadly virus for its
capacity to spread human-to-human.
Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, project director of the Multilane Road Tunnel under the River Karnaphuli, said 75 Chinese out of 250 flown back to home a month ago were asked to stay there.
China Communication Construction Company Ltd has been building the tunnel since February 2019 at an estimated cost of Tk 9,880 crore, out of which Exim Bank of China will provide Tk 5,913 crore.
The project is expected to be completed by 2022.
Out of 800 Chines working in the Padma Bridge Rail Link 16 were kept on watch at a hotel at the Shahjajal International Airport after they arrived last week.
Project director Golam Fakhruddin Ahmed Chowdhury said that Chinese kept in quarantine were mostly managerial stuff of the project being implemented by the China Railway Group Limited and funded by the China Exim Bank.
Rest of the Chinese are field level technicians who have been staying in Bangladesh for considerable period, he said.
Even then preventive measures were getting the highest priority, he said.
There is no specific data on how many Chinese are working in development projects under the ministries and divisions.
The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research director Meerjady Sabrina Flora at a briefing on Tuesday said around 10,000 Chinese were working in development projects as per data provided by the deputy commissioners.
The DCs were asked to send the data on January 29, she said.
She said 4,000 Chinese entered the country in one month ended on January 29.
At a briefing on Monday, cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said that the number of daily air passengers from China to Bangladesh came down 10 to 12 nowadays although the number was around 500 last month.
Bangladesh has already suspended on-arrival visas for Chinese visitors until further notice amid spread of coronavirus infection in different countries.
Some 312 Bangladeshis were brought back home from the coronavirus epicentre, Wuhan of China, by a special flight and quarantined at different facilities in Dhaka for confirming state of their health status.
Shakhawat Hossain | Published: 00:03, Feb 05,2020 | Updated: 13:39, Feb 05,2020
https://www.newagebd.net/article/98639/dev-projects-in-bangladesh-face-wuhan-virus-fallout
The county’s major development projects being executed by Chinese firms have started feeling pinches of the coronavirus fallout.
At least four dozens of Chinese nationals, who arrived in the country last week in connection with three infrastructure projects of bridges division and Bangladesh Railway, were quarantined, said the project directors while talking to New Age on Tuesday.
The projects are Padma Multipurpose Bridge, Padma Rail Link and Karnaphuli Tunnel with the formers being implemented by both the Chinese technical and financial assistance.
The projects directors said Chinese officials and technicians flown back home almost a month ago were advised to stay in China until further notice.
Besides, new recruitment from China was suspended, they said.
Padma Bridge project director Shafiqul Islam said on Monday that at least 30 Chinese arriving to the country in last seven days ago were kept in an isolated place.
China Major Bridge Engineering Company Ltd is constructing the main part of Padma Bridge, and another Chinese company Sinohydro Corporation Ltd is implementing the river training of the same project. The project, according to the project director, is yet to face any major setback amid coronavirus outbreak that caused death of 425 persons and infected 19,550 in China until February 4.
But the most priority project of the present government scheduled to be completed by June 2021 would face adverse impact if the present situation prevailed, said Shafiqul Islam.
Security concern has taken the centre stage of the Chinese dominated projects in the country since corona has been regarded as a deadly virus for its
capacity to spread human-to-human.
Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, project director of the Multilane Road Tunnel under the River Karnaphuli, said 75 Chinese out of 250 flown back to home a month ago were asked to stay there.
China Communication Construction Company Ltd has been building the tunnel since February 2019 at an estimated cost of Tk 9,880 crore, out of which Exim Bank of China will provide Tk 5,913 crore.
The project is expected to be completed by 2022.
Out of 800 Chines working in the Padma Bridge Rail Link 16 were kept on watch at a hotel at the Shahjajal International Airport after they arrived last week.
Project director Golam Fakhruddin Ahmed Chowdhury said that Chinese kept in quarantine were mostly managerial stuff of the project being implemented by the China Railway Group Limited and funded by the China Exim Bank.
Rest of the Chinese are field level technicians who have been staying in Bangladesh for considerable period, he said.
Even then preventive measures were getting the highest priority, he said.
There is no specific data on how many Chinese are working in development projects under the ministries and divisions.
The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research director Meerjady Sabrina Flora at a briefing on Tuesday said around 10,000 Chinese were working in development projects as per data provided by the deputy commissioners.
The DCs were asked to send the data on January 29, she said.
She said 4,000 Chinese entered the country in one month ended on January 29.
At a briefing on Monday, cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said that the number of daily air passengers from China to Bangladesh came down 10 to 12 nowadays although the number was around 500 last month.
Bangladesh has already suspended on-arrival visas for Chinese visitors until further notice amid spread of coronavirus infection in different countries.
Some 312 Bangladeshis were brought back home from the coronavirus epicentre, Wuhan of China, by a special flight and quarantined at different facilities in Dhaka for confirming state of their health status.
