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Padma Bridge Project

Korean firm gets consultant job

Staff Correspondent
The much-talked-about supervision consultant job in the Padma Bridge project went to a Korean company.
The cabinet committee on purchase with Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed in the chair awarded the job yesterday to Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC), South Korea & Associates forTk 383.15 crore (around $49.12million).
The World Bank in 2012 cancelled its $1.2 billion credit for the project over allegations of a corruption conspiracy involving Canadian company SNC Lavalin in appointing a supervision consultant.
Later, the government decided to implement the project with its own fund. The appointment of the supervision consultant is the last segment of the project work. Other jobs have already been awarded.
The Korean company was selected from four short-listed companies as it got the highest score in technical
evaluation, according to the Bridges Division proposal.
As per the initial plan, one supervision consultant was to be appointed for the whole project, but now the work has been split into two parts and so two consultants have been appointed.
Bangladesh Army last year was awarded the job of supervising fazira approach road, Mawa approach road and the service area with the assistance of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. The costs of the approach roads, service area and the supervision work of these components will amount to Tk 1,642 crore, of which the army will receive around Tk 206 crore.
As per the Bridges Division proposal, 25 percent progress has been made in these job segments.
China Major Bridge Engineering Construction Co in June last year got the main bridge construction work forTk 12,133 crore.
The Bridges Division has paid 15 percent of the amount to the company as mobilisation advance, and the bidder has started preparatory work, officials at the Bridges Division said.
Another Chinese company Sinohydro Corporation Ltd has bagged the river training job that will costTk 8,778 crore.
Though the expense of the Padma Bridge project has been estimated at Tk 20,507 crore, the costs of the job segments add up to Tk 23,142 crore.
Besides, if the costs of land acquisition, resettlement of the displaced people and others are counted, the total expense will be more than Tk 25,000 crore, the officials said.
When the project was approved in 2008, the estimated cost was Tk 10,161 crore, which was revised in the end of 2011.