Chinese co awaits cabinet body nod for Padma Bridge river training job

The financial proposal for awarding the river training work of the Padma Bridge project to the Chinese company is expected to get the purchase committee's nod today (Wednesday), officials said.
The Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) has already sent the proposal to the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase, they said.
"We are expecting the approval from the committee as the technical evaluation committee has already recommended to award the work to the lowest bidder," said an official preferring not to be named.
Sino Hydro Corporation Limited of China is the lowest bidder for the river training offering Tk 87 billion which was Tk 40 billion lower than the second highest bidder.
Among other short listed companies, Hyundai Engineering and Construction of South Korea and Jan De Nul NV of Belgium offered Tk 121 billion and Tk 160 billion respectively. The river training work is the Padma Bridge project's second expensive job and its selection will complete the tender process.
The BBA has already completed the selection of companies for the project's four other works -- main bridge construction, two approach road construction and a service area development.
Sources said although there has been controversy over selecting the Chinese company for the important project like Padma Bridge despite its poor performance in the government's another project, recommendation is, however, in favour of them.
The TEC recommended awarding the work to the lowest bidder based on the evaluation report of the PMB project's consultant and legal adviser.
In order to avoid conflict, they have now put the liability to the purchase committee for final selection to award the work to the Sino Hydro.
The government has to bear additional Tk 10 billion to complete the Dhaka-Chittagong Four Lane project as the Chinese company refrained from carrying out their part of the highway expansion work for a year on different grounds.
Due to the controversy over Sino Hydro, the project consultant and the TEC also took more than two months to complete the evaluation.
The river training programme is to carry out 14 kilometre river bank protection work at both Mawa and Janjira sides of the Padma Bridge for ensuring river flow below the proposed bridge.