In the development of the Chattogram-Dhaka-Ashuganj waterway, local companies have been appointed to work together with three separate foreign engineering companies. Additional Secretary to the Cabinet Md. Zillur Rahman Chowdhury said that a meeting of the cabinet committee concerning government procurement finalised the allocation of funds and appointment of contractors in the three phases of the project on Thursday (10 March).
The project, a joint venture between a local company and three separate companies from China, India, and the UAE, will cost Tk 1 thousand 31 crores 49 lacs 82 thousand and 792 in three phases.
After the meeting, the Additional Secretary said, ‘The money will be spent on digging Chattogram-Dhaka-Ashuganj and connected waterways and construction of additional facilities including terminals under ‘Bangladesh Regional Inland Water Transport Project-1’.’
China’s Harbour Engineering has received the first share of work on the package number ‘W1A’ of its first revised project. Expenditure of Tk 601 crores 62 lacs 50 thousand and 44 has been approved for this share.
The second share of the same route is a joint venture of UAE company ‘Gulf Cobla’ and another organisation called ‘Karnaphuli’ of Bangladesh. The cost of this share has been estimated at Tk 154 crores 21 lacs 35 thousand and 164.
In the third share of this route, the recruitment of ‘Dharti Dredging and Infrastructure’ of India and ‘Banga Dredgers Limited’ of Bangladesh has been finalised. Expenditure for the third share has been estimated at Tk 275 crores 65 lacs 97 thousand and 584.
The government has undertaken ‘Bangladesh Regional Inland Water Transport Project-1’ to improve the capacity and security of the Chattogram-Dhaka-Ashuganj naval corridor for the transportation of passengers and goods by inland waterways.
The total cost of the project, which started in 2017, has been estimated at Tk 3 thousand and 200 crores. The money will be spent on excavation and maintenance of main rivers and tributaries in Ashuganj, Narayanganj, and Barisal of the Dhaka and Chattogram corridors.
The Bangladesh government signed a financial agreement with the World Bank in December 2016 to implement the project. In March of the following year, an agreement was signed between the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the Finance Department.
