The cabinet committee on public purchase has approved the proposal for appointing Bangladesh Army for the task of protecting a 1,300m stretch of bank of the Padma River in Mawa-Kandirpara-Jashaldhia areas.
A meeting of the cabinet presided over by Finance Minister AMA Muhith also approved appointment of an Australia-New Zealand-Japan-Bangladesh joint venture as the consultant to provide technical assistance for the detailed study and design for the Dhaka-Chittagong expressway.
The army had already completed 75% of the work assigned to the Water Resources Ministry, Additional Secretary Nurul Karim told reporters after the meeting.
He said the appointment of the army would not increase the cost of the project assigned to the ministry which is Tk124.17 crore.
The Roads and Highways Division selected Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation International Pty Ltd of Australia in the joint venture with the Oriental Consultants of Japan in association with the Association Consulting Engineers Consultants Ltd of Bangladesh and Castalia Ltd of New Zealand for the expressway project for Tk83.22 crore.
The government has planned to build the expressway exclusively for local exporters and importers carrying goods at high toll to earn large amount of revenues.
