Project officials, mostly Indians, leave BD on security concern

Many foreign consultants and contractors, mostly Indians working under various development projects in Bangladesh, left the country during the last few days over security concerns amid a student protest that has toppled Sheikh Hasina's government.
The over two weeks' violent street protests surrounding the government job quota, law enforcers crackdown on the agitating students, and widespread vandalism and arson attacks following Sheikh Hasina's fall on August 05 have spread a wave of panic among people across the country.
The foreign contractors and consultants were working in different development projects of the Bangladesh Railway, the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) and the Roads and Highways Department, according to official sources.
According to the DMTCL officials, almost all of the nearly 60 Indian nationals, who have been working in the four ongoing metro rail projects - MRT 1, MRT 6, MRT 5 North and MRT 5 South - along with some other foreign consultants have left the country during the unrest.
"We could not stop them from returning home as security concerns gripped them after the vandalism at the MRT 6 stations," said a DMTCL official seeking not to be named.

He said a number of Japanese project officials also left the country.
An official of MRT 1 project added that many Japanese nationals, who went on vacation last month, have also regretted joinning their work.
Only two or three Japanese experts are now staying in Bangladesh, according to DMTCL officials.
Currently, a number of metro rail projects are underway in the capital Dhaka while only one is in operation. Indian consultancy firms, including Delhi Metro and Egis India Consulting Engineers, are working in the ongoing metrorail projects.
A number of railway projects are also underway under Indian credit lines, in which many Indian consultants are involved. Almost all of them left the country, Bangladesh Railway officials said.
However, they claimed that they are not worried about the absence of the Indian project officials, saying that the majority of the technical projects are close to the finishing line and that the project can be continued online.
Recently, the BR completed the feasibility study on the Khulna-Darshana section dual gauge line project, while Bogra-Sirajganj new dual gauge line project is now at the procurement stage.
Syed Mainul Hasan, chief engineer at the Roads and Highways Department, told the FE that the projects, where foreign consultants and contractors have been working, have not been affected by their leaving the country.
"Indians in the RHD projects are always on the move to and from working stations. Although some have left the country, some are still on the project sites," he told the FE over phone.
A source at the Russia-funded Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant said Russians working in the project are still on the site as security has been beefed up there.
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