The Bangladesh Railway has planned to build a 4.8-Km rail bridge over the Jamuna river in parallel with Bangabandhu Bridge.
According to the Development Project Proposal (DPP), the estimated cost of Tk8274.35 crore will be needed for the construction of the bridge,
The government will bear Tk1622.71 crore while the rest Tk6,651 crore will be funded by Jica.
According the DPP, an estimated cost of Tk48.56 lakh for per metre rail line construction of the main bridge is required while Tk30 lakh is needed for the construction of a metre rail line of a minor bridge. Each minor bridge’s length is 50 metre only.
However, it is not mentioned in the DPP what policy was followed for the estimated cost of constructing the mega rail bridge.
Generally, before the completion of the project study the construction cost is estimated on the basis of comparison with other similar projects.
But according to the DPP the project titled Construction of a Railway Bridge Parallel to Existing Bangabandhu Bridge with the Provision of Duel Gauge Double Track over the River Jamuna mentioned nothing like how the costing was decided.
A Railway official, however, said the estimated cost of the Railway bridge over the river Jamuna is abnormal.
“The proposed cost is at least three times higher than the Padma Bridge project,” said the official of the railway.
Meanwhile, a project related official said, Bangladesh had never had an experience of such type of a rail bridge. Which is why it had not been able to compare the cost with similar other projects.
Railway Secretary Firoz Salah Uddin told the Dhaka tribune: “The estimated cost will be revised.”
Sources said, Japan Investment Cooperative Agency (Jica) will be funding the rail bridge project.
A MoU has already been signed between the Economic Relation Division (ERD) and Jica for the $28 million primary study of the project.
Firoz Salauddin said: “The Jica has agreed to fund the project and it has also launched the primary study.”
According to the DPP, the project will be implemented by December 2020.
