Ctg-Cox's Bazar rail link project may miss deadline

Although the project to establish the rail link from Chattogram's Dohazari to Cox's Bazar has overcome its initial hurdle like land acquisition, it is likely to miss the deadline next year since a lot of work is yet to be completed.

The Tk180.34 billion project of the Bangladesh Railway (BR) was planned to establish the 129 kilometre rail track from Dohazari to Ghundhum via Cox's Bazar.

Official records show that the progress of the first phase of Dohazari-Cox's Bazar rail line is 64 per cent but nothing has been done on the part of Ramu to Ghumdhum.

Though the project has already applied for time extension until 2024, officials concerned said works had been being carried out with the target of inauguration of the 100.83 km single-line new rail track from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar by December 2022, reiterating the railways minister who earlier said the 100 km track would be open for train movement by December 2022.

Visiting the sites, including Cox's Bazar, Ramu and Islamabad rail stations, on Saturday, the FE correspondent had observed structural progress of the rail line at some points and stations but those were not enough to complete the project by next year.

The progress of the Cox's Bazar rail station at Jhilongha, 17 km off the tourism city, was 45 per cent. Of the six-storied station building, the structure up to four storeys has been erected.

Land development work of the entire area is almost at the end of completion but the station platform, rail track and approach roads and other related works are yet to start.

On the 29 acres of land of the station, some structures, including the administrative building, were also erected.

The project will build a total of 39 major rail bridges which the officials said were almost done.

But visiting a site near the Ramu station, it was found that a 160-metre bridge over the Bashkhali river was built without development of both sides including the station itself.

The BR has recently got control of the land of the Ramu station but any work on the station, which will be developed as a junction to link with Ghumdhum, is yet to start.

Though only a 12 kilometre rail track was set up from Eidgah to Joarianala, embankments of the entire 100 km have been almost ready.

Talking with the FE, Deputy Director of the project Mohammad Selim said due to constraints in acquiring 1,311 acres of land, works on the entire project could not be done in a consistent way.

The project, titled 'Dohazari to Cox's Bazar via Ramu and Ramu to Ghundhum of Myanmar' was approved in July 2010.

However, being unable to start the project in the next six years, the BR revised the project proposal which was approved on April 19, 2016.

Meanwhile, failing to complete the project by June 2022, the BR has already sought time for extending the project until 2024.

In this regard, Project Director Mohammad Mofizur Rahman told the FE that the time extension was sought keeping in mind the defects liability period (DLP). DLP is a set period of time after a construction project has been completed during which a contractor has the right to return to the site to remedy defects.

Mr Rahman said the project could not be started for six years as the project's financier Asian Development Bank (ADB) conducted a fresh feasibility study.

Regarding the development of 28.72km line from Ramu to Ghundhum near Myanmar, the project director said, "We are giving our full focus on developing rail track till Cox's Bazar -- not other part (Ramu to Ghundhum), though the project name has a mention of it."

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