Foreign workers to greatly outnumber locals

The Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMB) Project is likely to create more job opportunity for skilled and semi-skilled professionals than unskilled labourers, officials said.
They have initially estimated that more than 1,500 engineers and technicians of international standard will be engaged in the country's prime project in infrastructure sector.
Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), the implementing agency of the US$ 2.9 billion project, is yet to get assessment from its contractors, which were awarded the 6.15-kilometre-long bridge construction and river training works. These two works are the most costly and complicated components of the bridge project.
The country's longest bridge will be constructed in steel-composite and with deep foundation. The project's river training work is also challenging due to frequent change of river course and erosion.
"We do not have much scope for labourers, as most of the labour-related works will be carried out through machines," said project director M Shafiqul Islam.
He said as the project is highly technical and sophisticated by nature, more foreign experts will work in it than local ones.
Sources said two Chinese contractors have given an idea of engaging more than 1,200 engineers and technicians from their own country.
China Major Bridge Engineering Co Ltd (CMBEC) has got the job of constructing the bridge, having four-lane road on the top and rail-track at the bottom, at a cost of Tk 121.33 billion.
The company has informed the project office of hiring 1,000 engineers and technicians from China. They are preferring engagement of more Chinese people than local in the project due to language problem while communicating with local labourers.
SinoHydro Corporation, the contractor for the project's second highest expensive work, is yet to submit detailed work plan, but unofficially informed of engaging 200 engineers and technicians.
"As labour in China is cheaper than other developed countries, they want to bring their own labour to avoid language-related problem, which will be a vital one," said the PD.
Abdul Momen, contractor of two other works of carrying out approach road and service area development, and Bangladesh Army, responsible for construction supervision consultancy (CSC) work, have already engaged 150 local engineers.
BBA also has 28 engineers, hired from the water development board, railway and roads and highways, to lend support in different works of the project.
Since the PMB project office completed the tender process, vested quarters in different parts of the country have been engaged in taking money from people in the name of giving jobs in the mega project.

Following various reports, published in the media, BBA through advertisements have alerted all concerned not to be allured with any such assurance. CMBEC has also alerted people through an advertisement last month.
BBA officials said due to the project's complicated nature and multifarious challenges in constructing the bridge, international expertise has been sought from its design level to implementation stage. But the project will certainly create opportunities to transfer technology and increase capacity of local professionals, they added.
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