The Finance Division has inquired of the Armed Forces Division about the time the government had deployed army for the construction of the Bangabandhu bridge.
The Finance Division will place the Armed Forces Division’s proposal for forming three battalions to supervise the construction of the Padma bridge to the finance minister after receiving the reply to its letter of queries.
The Armed Forces Division’s proposal might be curtailed to two battalions, said an official of the Finance Division, requesting anonymity.
The government had deployed three armed forces units with a total of 2,000 army personnel during the construction of the Bangabandhu bridge, the official said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the public administration ministry had already approved the proposal for forming a new engineering battalion and two infantry battalions.
The proposal also includes formation of a new headquarters of the composite brigade.
The Finance Division source said the total yearly cost of running the three battalions and the headquarters was estimated at Tk621m and there would be a revolving fund of Tk881m which the brigade would use to serve specific necessities.
The prime minister asked Bangladesh Army in April to assist in the construction of the Padma bridge.
Over the past few years, the army successfully carried out the construction of a number of development projects in the country, including the Hatijheel scheme in the capital.
The completion of the Bangabandhu bridge – formerly known as Jamuna bridge – in 1998 was a landmark achievement for the people of Bangladesh, connecting more than 30 million people to the country’s transport and infrastructure network.
