DHAK, Nov 29: Aimed at completion by 2027, Bangladesh’s ambitious Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur railway expansion project has been greatly delayed. Currently, the project is only 35% complete, and has seen little more than 1.5% progress in the last 13 months, a media report said.
This has been attributed to delays in funding by India, which is a major source of all the country’s major economic projects, including railways.
Bangladesh officials said that the delays are due to the lack of no-objection certification from Exim Bank of India, the project’s financing body, which is necessary for securing additional funding.
Additionally, construction has been disrupted by the stalled progress of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway, the Business Standard Bangladesh reported.
The Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur Railway Expansion Project is a major infrastructure development undertaken by Bangladesh Railways, aimed at greatly increasing connectivity and capacity in central Bangladesh, particularly around Dhaka. It is part of the government’s broader plan to modernise the country’s railway network and alleviate traffic congestion in the Dhaka Metropolitan area.
The project started off with a budget of Tk848 crore (USD 78.61 million), but by 2023 increased to Tk3,343 crore (USD 309.91 million), with Tk2,821.16 crore (USD 261.40 million) being given by India in aid, and Tk521.38 crore (USD 48.29 million) by the Bangladesh government, the Business Standard Bangladesh said.
Officials noted that in October 2022 a proposal was submitted to Exim Bank of India for an additional loan of $66 million, which was approved in March 2023. However, new modifications to reform existing lines increased costs, prompting a request for an extra $21.78 million in funding in September.
The proposal was approved in November by the Cabinet Committee on Government Procurement, with the Exim Bank of India asked to give it no objection . A follow-up application for no objection was submitted in December, but no response has been received yet, with the Indian High Commission giving no comment.
Project Director Naznin Ara Keya said, “We are in regular contact with Exim Bank of India. There have been seven online meetings so far. But we have not received any reply yet. They had various questions and we have sent them answers.”
Naznin said that the initial plan was to build the new Dhaka-Tongi and Tongi-Joydebpur lines first. However, the poor condition of the existing lines prompted a decision to refurbish them, which extended both the duration and cost of the project.(
UNI)
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