Dhaka-Mymensingh highway 4-lane project cost to be revised

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Munima Sultana Cost of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway four-lane project is going to be revised following an increase in the cost of the first two packages of the 87 kilometre road project, officials said. They said the total project cost will climb up due to rise in the cost for completing its Joydevpur-Mawna part. Officials at the project office said the total revised cost has not been finalised yet. But it is estimated that the cost may go up by two to three times more than the present one. The officials said it has been necessary to revise the cost, following delay in beginning the work of the first two package of the project due to legal complication. "The actual cost is yet to be finalised, as it is under calculation," said an official. The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) launched over Tk 9.0 billion Dhaka-Mymensingh highway four-lane project, awarding the work consisting of four packages to three joint venture contractors in 2010. However, the project's pace slowed down after the legal complication arose with filing of case by a contractor over alleged forgery in getting the work. The government has recently decided to hand over the work of the project's disputed part to the Bangladesh Army. Director General of Special Works Organisation (SWO) -- West Brig Gen Abu Sayeed Mohammad Masud said the cost of the two packages would be finalised by the middle of the current month to start work by the month-end. "We have targeted to complete 70 per cent of the 30.25 km work by this year-end. We have to focus on cost estimation, as speeding up of the work is being focused," he told the FE. The RHD project officials said cost of the two packages -- one from Joydebpur to Rajendrapur and another from Rajendrapur to Mawna -- was earlier fixed at Tk 3.73 billion. The Army has already set up its camp office to start the work of the two packages. As the SWO engineers are engaged in two other major projects -- Hatirjheel-Begunbari road construction and Meghna, Meghna-Gumti bridges rehabilitation work -- it will take some time to start the four-lane project work, they added. Four local firms, all having joint venture agreements with Chinese companies, got the Dhaka-Mymensingh four-lane project work. After conflict with Intraco, which got work of first two packages, the Ministry of Communication sought the Cabinet Purchase Committee's nod to award the contract to Bangladesh Army, cancelling the ongoing tender process.