The relationship between China and Bangladesh is very amiable when it comes to joint ventures to construct mammoth infrastructures. The Chinese government and many leading construction companies in China have shown genuine interest in cooperating with Bangladesh to attain better social development by establishing significant infrastructures.
Over the past decade, numerous high-rise projects, bridges, and elevated roadways have been constructed with the help of the advanced construction strategies and skills of Chinese firms. Bangladesh has largely appreciated the bilateral unity and never stepped back from planning similar steps ahead for the future.
The near-50 years of diplomatic relations between the two states have resulted in countless trade and investments, which remain memorable in the history for both. Transportation, energy, electricity, technology, and many more sectors in Bangladesh have been boosted through our fruitful partnership with China.
As social development gains pace, the overall economic growth also took off for the population of Bangladesh.
Among the core concepts for such development in Bangladesh are Digital Bangladesh, Vision 2021, and Vision 2040, and two wide-scale national projects that require extensive fuelling in technology and engineering. Hence, Bangladesh sincerely expects its allies to be consistently by its side. And China is one of Bangladesh’s major allies in this journey.
The Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, Payra 2x660 MW Coal-fired Power Plant, the IV tier National Data Centre, and many more projects have been made successful under partnerships between China and Bangladesh. The recent addition to this has been the Padma Multipurpose Bridge and Padma Bridge Rail Link Project (PBRLP), which carries a special emotional meaning to all Bangladeshi citizens.
The China Railway Group Ltd (known as CREC) has been one substantial partner to Bangladesh’s large railway projects for a long time. CREC is highly reputed in the global industry because of its efficiency, capability, and commitment.
CREC is constructing the gigantic Padma Bridge railroad, the near 170km long line, which was envisioned to be Bangladesh’s pathway to the next level as a state.
Estimated to be over $3 billion, the project has seen tremendous progress so far, credited to CREC’s flawless design and work strategies. Recently, they have also constructed a sleeper factory at Bhanga to supply sleepers for the PBRLP.
Another exceptional project that is currently underway in Bangladesh is the multi-lane Road Tunnel Project under the Karnaphuli River in Chittagong.
This intricate project has also been trusted in the hands of a reputed Chinese construction firm. Already ahead of schedule, once the construction of the tunnel project is complete, it is projected to become integral for the BCIM economic corridor and the BRI. This very first underwater tunnel of South Asia will boost the productivity of the Chittagong port.
CREC has an over 120-year legacy of brilliance in infrastructure construction, industrial manufacturing, research, and development.
The government of Bangladesh trusted this company based on their previous records, and CREC kept their end every time.
Currently, the organization is active in more than 90 countries across the world. Chinese organizations like CREC have mostly been appraised worldwide for their service quality excellence and timeliness. Bangladesh values such partners on its way to attaining the prime prestige of a developed country.
The rise to the top for any nation is a gradual process, which involves friends and allies beyond financial interests. And China has been a perfect ally in this regard for Bangladesh.
MA Monayem is Earthwork Engineer Incharge, Mawa Bhanga section, Padma Bridge Rail Link Project.