New PQ bid launched for Padma bridge
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
FE Report
The government opened Sunday the pre-qualification bid for construction of planned Padma bridge project, days after it scrapped the previous one.
Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), the executing agency of the US$2.4 billion project, invited bidders from countries to participate in the new short- listing process by November 24.
Although the authority cancelled the first bid, which was called on April 11, it allowed the first bidders to join the potentially fierce fray.
"The current qualification is being carried out based on the latest design and updated pre-qualification criteria," said project director Mohammad Rafiqul Islam in the PQ notice circulated in the media Monday.
It said prequalification will be done through the procedures specified in the World Bank's procurement guidelines.
The fresh pre-qualification tender came against the backdrop of the World Bank's opposition to the first PQ selection.
In the first previous bidding, the bridge authority short-listed five international firms, out of 11 participated, for the construction work of the two-tier steel-truss-composite bridge. It was invited seeking experience of interested parties on both bore piling and raking piling which mean experience in concrete and steel piling. But after the finalisation of the design of the bridge, the experts' decision has gone on only for raking piling.
Officials said none of the participated 11 bidders has shown experience in raking piling.
The government opened Sunday the pre-qualification bid for construction of planned Padma bridge project, days after it scrapped the previous one.
Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), the executing agency of the US$2.4 billion project, invited bidders from countries to participate in the new short- listing process by November 24.
Although the authority cancelled the first bid, which was called on April 11, it allowed the first bidders to join the potentially fierce fray.
"The current qualification is being carried out based on the latest design and updated pre-qualification criteria," said project director Mohammad Rafiqul Islam in the PQ notice circulated in the media Monday.
It said prequalification will be done through the procedures specified in the World Bank's procurement guidelines.
The fresh pre-qualification tender came against the backdrop of the World Bank's opposition to the first PQ selection.
In the first previous bidding, the bridge authority short-listed five international firms, out of 11 participated, for the construction work of the two-tier steel-truss-composite bridge. It was invited seeking experience of interested parties on both bore piling and raking piling which mean experience in concrete and steel piling. But after the finalisation of the design of the bridge, the experts' decision has gone on only for raking piling.
Officials said none of the participated 11 bidders has shown experience in raking piling.