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Padma bridge consultancy goes to army

Job includes supervision of approach roads, service areas

Staff Correspondent
Bridges Division of the communications ministry yesterday signed a Tk 133.49 crore contract with the army for supervision consultancy work of two approach roads and two service areas of the Padma bridge project.
Project Director Shafiqul Islam and Maj Gen Abu Syeed Md Masud inked the deal at Setu Bhaban in the capital in the presence of Communications Minister Obaidul Quader and Chiefofthe Army Staff General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the construction work of the main bridge after Eid-ul-Azha, Quader said.
At the signing ceremony, the army chief said Bangladesh Army would deliver the service as the PM had confidence in it.
According to the three-year contract, the Special Works Organisation of the army will supervise the construction of the approach roads and service areas, in association with Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology' and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation.
Approach roads and service areas will be constructed at both ends of the bridge at a cost of about Tk 1,642 crore, according to official documents.
Earlier on August 20, the communications minister announced that the consultancy work would be given to the army.
A Bangladesh-Malaysian joint venture company is constructing the approach road and sendee area at Janjira point of the bridge project under a Tk 1,098 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 6.15-kilometre bridge with its own fund after the World Bank and three other international donors had cancelled their credits for it in June last year on an allegation of a corruption conspiracy. That has delayed construction of the road-rail bridge.
On June 26, the government floated tenders for construction of the main bridge and asked the prequalified firms to submit bids by November 4. The estimated construction cost of the main bridge is Tk 11,829 crore or $1.18 billion while the total cost of the project will be $2.97 billion.
A tender for river training work, the second largest component of the project, has already been floated. The last date for bids submission is November 25.
The government has, meantime, completed rehabilitation and resettlement works, spending about Tk 1,500 crore.