Karnaphuli Tunnel deal with China Tuesday

Bangladesh and China on Tuesday will sign an agreement on the construction of a multilane tunnel under the Karnaphuli River in Chittagong. The agreement will be inked in Chinese capital Beijing in the presence of Bangladesh’s Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and his Chinese counterpart. Obaidul Quader is now visiting China. He is leading an eight-member delegation there. All the members of the Bangladesh delegation willl be present during the signing ceremony on Tuesday, a highly-placed source at the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry said. Road Transport and Bridges Ministry information officer Sheikh Walid Foyez said the deal will be signed between the Bangladesh Bridges Authority and a company designated by the Chinese government. During China visit of Prime Minsiter Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on construction of the Karnaphuli multilane tunnel. Following the summit-level meeting headed by the prime ministers of Bangladesh and China, the two sides signed six deals, including the Karnaphuli tunnel on June 10 last year. Besides, Karnaphuli tunnel, Dhaka and Beijing inked a deal on economic and technical cooperation between China and Bangladesh. Under the agreement, Dhaka would receive 300 million renminbi, over Tk3.73 billion (Tk373.7 crore), every year. A deal was signed on a joint venture between China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation and North-West Power Generation Company Ltd to set up a 1,320 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Patuakhali at an estimated cost of $3 billion. Another memorandum of understanding on creation of a Chinese Economic and Investment Zone in Chittagong was inked. The two sides also had two Exchanges of Letters on the second batch of calamity rescue equipment and a feasibility study of flood prevention and management in Bangladesh. Although Beijing picked up two out of six mega projects proposed by Dhaka during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit, it would consider providing support for the other projects. Dhaka had sought soft loan and grant support for the construction of Rajshahi Wasa Surface Water Treatment Plant, construction of the 2nd railway/road bridge over the Karnaphuli River, construction of a new dual gauge railway line from Chittagong to Cox's Bazar via Ramu and Ramu to Gundhum near Bangladesh-Myanmar border, and national ICT network for Bangladesh government (Phase-III). Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also sought Chinese support for establishment of Eastern Refinery Unit-2 and Single Point Mooring Project, according to a news agency.