Indian firm chosen to do preparatory works

Munima Sultana An Indian joint venture firm has been assigned to carry out necessary preparatory works relating to the construction of two double-track railway bridges over the Bhairab and the Titas rivers. The Bangladesh Railway (BR) has selected the joint venture of the STUP Consultant Pvt Ltd in and the Scott Wilson India for conducting feasibility study, preparing detailed design and tender documents for the 2nd Bhairab and 2nd Titas rail bridges at a cost of Tk 450.6 million. Officials said both the bridges are important not only for accommodating local rail traffic but also ensuring regional connectivity and country's link with the Trans-Asian Railway. They said the BR has taken the Tk 9.59 billion project for construction of two bridges under the Indian $1.0 billion credit extended last year as the single-track Bhairab and Titas rail bridges are nearly 80 years old and would be a mismatch when the Dhaka-Chittagong railway corridor is made double-track. Bids were invited from Indian firms for doing the preparatory works for the bridge construction. A total of 11 firms submitted their bids and six were short-listed of whom five submitted their 'request for proposal'. The BR has already taken a number of projects with Japanese assistance to upgrade the Dhaka-Chittagong rail corridor from Laksam to Chinki Astana into a double-track one. Japan also helps the BR improve Chittagong railway station and purchase 11 locomotives. A Chinese firm has also won a work to turn Tongi-Bhairab Bazar rail line into double-track on the same corridor with support from the Asian Development Fund (ADF), the soft window of the Asian Development Bank. The officials said the Indian consultant for the 2nd Bhairab and Titas bridge construction project will work for six months to do the feasibility study, make detailed design and tender document. The same company will also work for 33 months as the construction supervisor. A signing ceremony to award the consultancy and construction supervision work to the Indian firm will be held at Rail Bhaban today (Thursday). The 2nd Bhairab and Titas bridge construction project got approval from Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on November 9, 2010.