Project likely to end sans Ghundum portion

The Bangladesh Railway (BR) is likely to finish the "fast-track" Dohazari-Cox's Bazar-Ghundum railway project without completing the 29-kilometre line up to Ghundum, although money is no matter.
Despite the project's approval 12 years ago, insiders said on Wednesday, the state-backed BR at the fag end is going to abandon the Cox's Bazar-Ghundum portion.
The government has recently extended the Tk 180.34-billion project for two more years up to June 2024 as the BR fails to do the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar part.
"The railway is likely to complete the project by June 2024 installing the 100.83-km track from Dohazari-Cox's Bazar part only. It won't install the 28.725-km Cox's Bazar-Ghundum line," says a BR official on anonymity.
This means the entire project as per the development project proposal (DPP) is not being done within the June 2024 timeline, he adds.
The Tk 18.52-billion fast-track 'Dohazari-Ramu-Cox's Bazar-Ghundum (close to Myanmar border) single line dual-gauge railway line installation project' was undertaken in 2010 to finish it by December 2013.
But the BR failed to start the project work due to funding complexities.
Finally, the government decided to borrow from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for building the 101-km Dohazari-Cox's Bazar track.
As the BR signally failed to embark on the work within the December 2013 preliminary target, the government extended time up to June 2016 without raising the project cost.
As it failed again, the deadline was extended up to June 2022 with the cost increased nearly tenfold to Tk 180.34 billion, including the ADB's Tk 116.55 billion.
When asked, a senior official says since some major policy decisions are needed to link Myanmar with Bangladesh through railway, the BR has now deferred the second part (Cox's Bazar-Ghundum).
In the future, the cross-border track may be imperative for carrying both passenger and freights between the two neighboring courtiers, he adds.
The ADB under its South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) initiative is bankrolling the Tk 180.34 billion railway connection project between Chittagong and Myanmar border.
Project data shows some 71 per cent of the physical work between Dohazari-Cox's Bazar is done.
"We're working to complete the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar line by December 2023 for carrying passengers," says an official involved in the project.
"As we'll complete the first phase of the line by December 2023, some funds from the Tk 180.34-billion may remain unspent. It will return to the exchequer on completion of the project in June 2024."
The BR earlier awarded contracts to two joint-venture companies for installing the track between Dohazari and Cox's Bazar.
Under the Lot-1, the China Railway Engineering Group (CREC) and Toma Construction & Company Limited Joint venture (CREC-TOMA JV) is working to install some 50-km line on Dohazari side.
Another 50km line is being installed under the Lot-2 by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) & Max Infrastructure Limited Joint Venture (CCECC-MAX JV).
The deals for both packages were signed in September 2017 and civil works commenced in March 2018.
The line will connect Cox's Bazar for the first time to the national and sub-regional rail network, and support economic development in the Dhaka-Chittagong-Cox's Bazar corridor through railway connectivity, contributing to the overall development of Bangladesh.
The corridor is part of the Trans-Asia Railway network and it will facilitate access for Cox's Bazar population and products to sub-regional markets and trade. The project will also improve sub-regional connectivity with Myanmar, combined with intermodal connection to road transport toward the border.
The project is also expected to facilitate access to projects by other development partners, including JICA's planned power plant and deep-sea port in Matarbari island near Cox's Bazar.

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