The progress of construction of the Dhaka-Mymensingh [87.18 kilometres 4-lane national category] Highway is very frustrating as the overall project work faces severe setback due to bureaucratic tangle and lack of funds.The work was supposed to end by December last year. But it could not. As such the time has been extended to June 2015.Although the works started in 2010, only 32 percent upgradation work has been completed so far. Besides, the cost of the project may go up by two to three times more following an increase in the cost of the first two packages, one from Joydebpur to Rajendrapur and the other from Rajendrapur to Mawna, officials said yesterday. The Bangladesh Army earlier had got construction work of 34km of the total project. And the rest was awarded to a Chinese construction company Sinho Hydro. But the Chinese company after constructing a few km of the highway raised fresh demand to increase their bill, which annoyed the government high-ups, the officials added.In this backdrop, the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on February 9 asked the Communication Minister Obaidul Quader to award the total work of Dhaka-Mymensingh highway project to Bangladesh Army. At the same time, she also directed the Finance Ministry to disburse project funds for the Bangladesh Army.But the PM’s directives are yet to be materialized due to unknown reasons. When contacted, Project Director Md Hafizur Rahman told The New Nation: ” I can’t tell you about the progress of the project at this time. There is a meeting with the concerned ministries tomorrow and the fate of the project will be finalized there.” Meanwhile, the officials of Roads and Highways Department [RHD] have blamed hartals and blockades for the delay. Foreign contractors could not move construction materials due to shutdowns from October to January first week this year.Apart from it, the project’s pace had also slowed following filing of case by a contractor over alleged forgery in getting the work. Four local firms having joint venture agreements with Chinese companies got the project work, the officials said.The under-construction Dhaka-Mymensingh highway will play vital role in the economy of the country’s northern region, according to officials.The Awami League-led grand alliance government had taken the project–divided into four packages while Intraco [BD], a joint venture with Chinese firm Hebei Road and Bridge Group Company [HRBC] Ltd, got package 1 and 2. Of them, one is upgradation of 13-kilometre Joydevpur-Rajendrapur Road at a cost of Tk 126 crore, and another is 17-kilometre Rajendrapur-Mawna road at a cost of Tk 203.47 crore.But the Communication Ministry sought the Cabinet Purchase Committee’s nod to award the contract to Bangladesh Army cancelling the ongoing tender process after conflict with Intraco, which had got work of first two packages.
