Uncertainty over timely completion

Munima Sultana | Published: December 29, 2013 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

Uncertainty has developed over timely completion of Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane project as work on the country's vital highway expansion project remained almost suspended during the last few months because of the ongoing political stalemate.
Officials said the three assigned contractors of the 193-kilometre highway project could not carry their due work since the dry reason began in October due to obstruction, often by opposition activists and supporters.
Project office apprehends that it would not be possible to cover up the work, which could not be done during the past few months, in the coming months as the project has only two dry seasons to complete entire bitumen work of the country's economic lifeline.
"Progress of Dhaka-Chittagong highway project is very frustrating. It will be hard to finish the highway construction work by next year as per schedule, as we have already missed two important months of the construction season," said an official preferring anonymity.
Project office recorded only 42 per cent progress of the Tk 32 billion project, which was much below the 65 per cent target.
The project office expected to complete 70 km bitumen work by the current dry season to meet its target to finish the highway project by next December.
Due to the delay caused by the political stalemate, sources said the government's dream to make a significant part of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway noticeable before the election has been shattered.
"We could do very negligible size of construction work by taking the support of law enforcing agencies including army. As most of the area on the Dhaka-Chittagong corridor is in political turbulent areas, particularly in Sitakunda and Comilla, hardly any work could be done during hartal and blockade programmes," said the official.
He said the Chinese firm had tried to carry out some work at its seven package areas to reduce its financial loss. But it, however, stopped all work after picketers damaged three of their vehicles during the ongoing programmes.
Project office expected that the Chinese firm would be able to finish construction work of at least three, out of scheduled seven package areas, by the end of the current dry season.
Project Director Ibne Alam Hussain, however, told the FE that they would be able to cover up the losses if the situation gets normal in January.
"We can achieve our target if stability comes after the January 5 election," he added.
Since the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane work began in 2010, it has gone through a number of problems including fund constraints, land acquisition problems and lack of earth to cover the 193 km area.
The government's target to finish the project has also been shifted two times - December 2012 and December 2013 - due to the above reasons. The project cost has been revised several times due to the delays, increasing from Tk18 billion to Tk32 billion. In the latest development project proposal approved in July, the project cost was up Tk32 billion refixing the project completion year by December 2013.
The officials said the project has now no fund constraints as the government allotted Tk 5.0 billion in the current fiscal year but the fund could hardly be used till date.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) awarded 192.3 km Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane work to three constructing firms - Sino Hydro Corporation Ltd of China, Reza Construction Ltd and Taher Brothers-ACL joint venture of Bangladesh in 2010.
Of the total work, the Chinese firm is responsible for completing 70 per cent of the work in seven package areas while the two Bangladeshi firms the rest three package areas.