The government has appointed an Indian company, Balaji Railroad Systems Ltd, as consultant for the Kulaura-Shahbajpur railway rehabilitation project. Bangladesh Railways yesterday signed an agreement regarding the appointment of consultant with Balaji Railroad Systems Ltd at the railway ministry. General Manager (east) of railways, Mozammel Huq, and head of corporate of Balaji Railroad Systems Ltd, Tapan Ghosh, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.
Among others, Railway Minister, Mujibul Huq, Secretary of the ministry, Firoz Salahuddin, Indian High Commissioner, Pankaj Sharan and Director General of railways, Amzad Hossain, were present at the signing ceremony.
Funded by India, the Kulaura-Shahbajpur Section Rehabilitation Project will be implemented at a cost of Tk. 678.50 crore. “It would help to reduce suffering of the people in the project area after its implementation. The BNP government had postponed the project, but the Awami League government revived it to begin the process anew,” Mujibul Huq told reporters. Thanking the Indian government, the minister said that the region will become a tourist attraction after completion of the project.
“We hope the train service between the two countries will resume again by 2017 from Kulaura-Shahbajpur section after installation of broad-gauge track under the rehabilitation project,” the Railway Minister said.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on May 26 approved a revised rehabilitation project for the Kulaura-Shahbajpur rail track in Moulavibazar worth Tk. 678.50 crore after the government decided to reopen the route.
The original expenditure of the Kulaura-Shahbajpur section rehabilitation project was Tk 117.61 crore, but
the project cost increased to Tk 678.50 crore after revision, which led to the increase in cost to Tk 561 crore.
The BNP government had suspended the route in July 2002 saying that it was accidents prone and non-profitable.
As per ECNEC’s decision, the government will provide Tk 122 crore for the project, while the remaining Tk 556 crore will come from the Indian Line of Credit.
Under the project, the government plans to extend the 51-km route to the Indian border by setting up an additional 9-km rail track and converting it into dual-gauge to connect to the regional railway network as well as the Trans-Asian Railway Network in future.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the project jointly on June 7 during the Indian premier’s Dhaka visit.