Abdul Monem Ltd gets two months to end work

Work on the widening of Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur highway faces an unexpected delay allegedly for a reputed local contractor, which was earlier alerted several times by the project office.
Last week, the chief engineer of Roads and Highways Department (RHD) called the firm representatives to his office and gave them two months' time to cover the gap.
Sources said the project office and the RHD shared the progress in other packages of the Tk 186.79-billion project with them and set the time frame.
The project completion target is nearing fast.
Sources said Abdul Monem Limited, which was picked for building 28 kilometre of the 190-km Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur highway under package 05, which takes an unusual delay in the work for a couple of months.
However, the road developer has failed to show any strong ground for this delay.
Although the project earlier suffered Covid-19 pandemic in addition to mounting building costs, they said contractors of other physical work packages have revived the work, except the package-05 contractor.
The RHD undertook the SASEC II project in 2015 after completing feasibility study, but the start in physical work was delayed until 2020 for reasons like non-completion of land acquisition.
Covid-19 as well as an unusual hike in the prices of building materials also delayed the project, which has been implemented under 13 packages.
Eleven of the packages are physical work.
Sources, however, said the progress in the package-05 slowed for a change in the internal management of Abdul Monem Ltd after the death of its founder Abdul Monem.
The delay is also due to fund crunch facing the firm.
The FE found a document where the project office showed concern at the slow progress by the company despite repeated notices and alerts issued.
The meeting with Abdul Monem Ltd was held on August 09.
When asked about the meeting, project director Walilur Rahman told the FE that progress in all other packages was recorded at 65-70 per cent.
But the progress was around 50 per cent for package-05. Mr Rahman, however, said the meeting with the RHD chief was fruitful as the company's managing director assured him of looking into the matter positively.
The tender for package-05 work was called twice.
The first tender was cancelled questioning the capacity of big contractors when they were engaged in various big infrastructure projects in the country.
However, Abdul Monem participated in the tender again and got the job. The company is a contractor of SASEC I and other mega projects, including MRT-06.
The 190-kilometre highway is part of various corridors, including SASEC, Asian Highway and SAARC, being built mainly with funds from the Asian Development Bank.
Project cost was, however, increased to Tk 186.79 billion from the earlier estimated Tk 118.99 billion by revising the development project proposal twice.
The deadline was also extended to December 2024 from 2021.
The managing director did not reply to several phone calls made for his comment.

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