2 railway overpasses on Dhaka-Ctg 4-lane highway

TK 2137cr project in limbo

Contractor leaves completing only 51 per cent work but it received 64 per cent of total cost

Despite of a deadline of December 2016, a project to construct two railway overpasses on the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway is yet to be completed thanks to inefficiency of the construction company concerned. 

Project Builders Company Ltd, the company which was awarded the contract for constructing two railway overpasses on the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway, has disappeared without completing works after receiving TK 1374.69 crore of the TK 2137.26 cr project which is 64 per cent of the total cost.
Project Builders Company completed only 51 per cent work but it received 64 per cent of total cost, the report said. Project director Aktar Hossen told the Independent that they had not refund the security money of Tk 20 crore as they did not fulfil the condition.
He also said the company hampered the worked entirety.     
This was revealed in a report prepared by the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) which said though the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway was opened to vehicles in July without the railway overpasses. 
With the approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), the fourth revision of the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway is scheduled to be completed by December 2016, increasing the project cost by around Tk. 626 crore to a total of Tk. 3,816.94 crore.
Meanwhile, the implementing agency of the roads and highways department (RHD) has sought another year’s extension without increasing the cost of the project. 
According to the report by the IMED, which is the government watchdog, the project cost has been increased several times due to implementation delays when the Chinese company Sinohydro refused to meet a clause in the agreement. Later, the entire maintenance contract was handed over to two Bangladeshi companies—Reza Construction and Taher Brothers Ltd.
The report said the project to construct the two overpasses over the Feni and Comilla railway crossings was awarded to Bangladesh Project Builders Company Ltd. But this Bangladesh-Malaysian joint venture company has vanished without completing the project.
The construction work for the 192-km-long Dhaka–Chittagong four-lane highway was completed in 10 packages. Moreover, nine bridges and overpasses were scheduled to be constructed under three separate packages. But two railway overpasses are yet to be completed.

The IMED said the construction of the railway overpass would not be completed next year. 
Asked about the incomplete work, project director Aktar Hossen said the bidder was fined for violation of agreement conditions, but managed to escape without completing the two rail overpasses. He said they were considering awarding the remaining work to the Bangladesh Army to ensure timely completion.
In 2006, the government had approved the construction of a four-lane highway, 192.3 km in length, from Daudkandi toll plaza to Chittagong city gate. 
The project, which was to be completed by June 2012 at a cost of Tk. 2,168.38 crore, was initiated to ensure uninterrupted communications between the capital and the port city. 
The project was revised for the first time in 2009, increasing the cost to Tk. 2,382.17 crore due to the correction of the project profile and changes in its cross-sectional design. 
In March 2013, the ECNEC revised the project for the second time, hiking the cost to Tk. 3,190.29 crore, with the aim of completing it by December 2015.
The RHD divided the highway project into 10 packages for appointing the contractors. It appointed six local and foreign construction firms to complete the work within the deadline. 
The report said as of November 2016, the implementing agency has spent Tk. 31,353.59 crore (82.68 per cent) out of Tk. 3,816.94 crore and has physically completed 92 per cent of the project.

 

2 railway overpasses on Dhaka-Ctg 4-lane highway

TK 2137cr project in limbo

Contractor leaves completing only 51 per cent work but it received 64 per cent of total cost

Despite of a deadline of December 2016, a project to construct two railway overpasses on the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway is yet to be completed thanks to inefficiency of the construction company concerned. Project Builders Company Ltd, the company which was awarded the contract for constructing two railway overpasses on the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway, has disappeared without completing works after receiving TK 1374.69 crore of the TK 2137.26 cr project which is 64 per cent of the total cost. Project Builders Company completed only 51 per cent work but it received 64 per cent of total cost, the report said. Project director Aktar Hossen told the Independent that they had not refund the security money of Tk 20 crore as they did not fulfil the condition. He also said the company hampered the worked entirety. This was revealed in a report prepared by the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) which said though the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway was opened to vehicles in July without the railway overpasses. With the approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), the fourth revision of the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway is scheduled to be completed by December 2016, increasing the project cost by around Tk. 626 crore to a total of Tk. 3,816.94 crore. Meanwhile, the implementing agency of the roads and highways department (RHD) has sought another years extension without increasing the cost of the project. According to the report by the IMED, which is the government watchdog, the project cost has been increased several times due to implementation delays when the Chinese company Sinohydro refused to meet a clause in the agreement. Later, the entire maintenance contract was handed over to two Bangladeshi companiesReza Construction and Taher Brothers Ltd. The report said the project to construct the two overpasses over the Feni and Comilla railway crossings was awarded to Bangladesh Project Builders Company Ltd. But this Bangladesh-Malaysian joint venture company has vanished without completing the project. The construction work for the 192-km-long DhakaChittagong four-lane highway was completed in 10 packages. Moreover, nine bridges and overpasseswere scheduled to be constructed under three separate packages. But two railway overpasses are yet to be completed. The IMED said the construction of the railway overpass would not be completed next year. Asked about the incomplete work, project director Aktar Hossen said the bidder was fined for violation of agreement conditions, but managed to escape without completing the two rail overpasses. He said they were considering awarding the remaining work to the Bangladesh Army to ensure timely completion. In 2006, the government had approved the construction of a four-lane highway, 192.3 km in length, from Daudkandi toll plaza to Chittagong city gate. The project, which was to be completed by June 2012 at a cost of Tk. 2,168.38 crore, was initiated to ensure uninterrupted communications between the capital and the port city. The project was revised for the first time in 2009, increasing the cost to Tk. 2,382.17 crore due to the correction of the project profile and changes in its cross-sectional design. In March 2013, the ECNEC revised the project for the second time, hiking the cost to Tk. 3,190.29 crore, with the aim of completing it by December 2015. The RHD divided the highway project into 10 packages for appointing the contractors. It appointed six local and foreign construction firms to complete the work within the deadline. The report said as of November 2016, the implementing agency has spent Tk. 31,353.59 crore (82.68 per cent) out of Tk. 3,816.94 crore and has physically completed 92 per cent of the project.