The government has signed an agreement with Chinese firm Sinohydro Corporation for the river training work of the Padma bridge project despite allegations that the firm is responsible for the delay in the project of upgrading the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway.
The cost of the river training work of the Padma bridge is Tk8,707 crore and the project will be completed in 48 months, according to the agreement.
Project Director Shafiqul Islam and Deputy CEO of Sinohydro Lyu Liushan inked the deal yesterday on behalf of their organisations at the Bangabandhu International Convention Centre in the capital. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Bridges Division Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam and other senior officials of the government and the Chinese firm attended signing ceremony.
The river training work is the second most costly component of the project worth almost $3 billion.
Minister Obaidul Quader later told reporters: “We have completed the last step of preparation for the construction of the Padma bridge.
“I have assured people that each of the contracts of the construction of the bridge, river training etc will be done maintaining transparency and accountability, avoiding any kind of corruption.”
He said the government needed assistance and help from the people of Bangladesh for the construction of the country’s largest bridge with its own fund.
The cabinet committee on public purchase approved the proposal of the Bridges Division in September to award the river training work to the Chinese firm. Two firms from Belgium and South Korean had also participated in the tender but their costs were higher.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the construction of the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway was delayed because of our own failures as some mosques and madrasas could not be removed from the project’s site.
The government has already allocated Tk8,100 crore for its fast-track Padma bridge project in the budget for the current fiscal year. On September 10, the government awarded the river training work to Sinohydro.
