Bangladesh Railway has assured the Chinese contractor China Railway Group Limited (CREC) that the government will soon release payments for the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, following concerns over delayed bills and financial pressure on the company. Railway authorities have urged CREC not to be alarmed, saying the project's progress will not be disrupted.
Officials at the office of the Director General of Bangladesh Railway confirmed that while the project faces audit objections worth Tk 13,000 crore, steps are already underway to resolve them. In the meantime, preparations for the release of funds have begun.
Bangladesh Railway Additional Director General (Infrastructure) Al Fattah Md. Masudur Rahman told the Daily Observer, We have informed CREC that the money will be released very soon. Considering the importance of the project, we are keeping an eye on the pace of work so that it does not slow down even for a day.
The laying of railway lines across the Padma Bridge and an experimental trial run have already been completed. The final stages of signalling, construction of station infrastructure, and finishing work are progressing quickly. Officials remain confident that passenger train services between Dhaka and Bhanga will begin on schedule.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that China has expressed some discomfort over the delay in payment. However, after receiving assurances from Bangladesh Railway, CREC is holding its position and continuing work.
Observers believe that the timely release of funds will not only help stabilise the project but also strengthen Bangladesh-China development cooperation, reinforcing trust between the two countries on future mega projects.
Finance Ministry officials say that work is underway to resolve the audit objections. However, considering the importance of the mega project, the bill will be paid to CREC soon. An official said, "The audit issue will be resolved in a separate process. But paying the contractor for the completed part of the work is the need of the hour."
Experts say that if the release of funds is delayed, foreign companies may be discouraged from participating in mega projects in Bangladesh in the future. However, the government's recent assurances have largely dispelled that fear.
Sources say that the recent audit objections that have been circulated through various media are mainly based on the observation of 42 sectors and 7 additional costs. The project has cost about 33 thousand crore taka in the sectors recognized and approved by the department concerned.
As an argument, those involved in the project say that this project includes earthquake-resistant railway lines, hydrological and technical tests, river management, tunnelling, construction of multiple stations, logistical support and complex technical additions. Additional costs are very normal in such projects even in developed countries. Especially where the project is located in the terrain between rivers and plains.
Besides, the Additional Grant of Land (AGL) is part of the long-term maintenance and expansion plan of the project. Land is required for future railway line expansion, safety buffer, siding rail, signalling system, substation, etc. Showing this land acquisition as an 'additional cost' is indicative of engineering ignorance, which is like the delirium of the ancients.
Document Management System (DMS), reporting software, cloud server, project monitoring software-all are essential for an international-standard project. Trying to show these expenses as unnecessary is questionable.
Trains are whistling along the entire 172-kilometer railway line of the 'Padma Bridge Rail Link Project'. As a result, the travel time from Dhaka to the Padma Bridge and Kashiani in Gopalganj to the Jashore-Khulna railway line will be reduced by about 3.5 hours and 4 hours on the Jashore-Benapole railway line. The distance will be reduced by more than half in each section.
According to sources responsible for the project, the current distance from Dhaka to Khulna via the Padma Bridge, Bhanga, Rajabari, Chuadanga and Jashore is 412 kilometers. But the project's railway line to the Padmabila Junction Railway Station in Jashore via Narail is 172 kilometers. As a result, the distance to Khulna on this route has been reduced to 192 kilometers, taking 5.5 hours less in terms of time.
The Sundarbans Express train from Dhaka to Khulna on the current route takes 7 hours and 35 minutes to cover the 412-kilometer route. The train can reach Khulna in 4 hours through the project's railway line.
On December 24 last year, the entire route from Dhaka to Jashore of the Padma Bridge Rail Link project was finally launched.
Railway Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said that the train from Khulna to Dhaka is being launched through the Padma Rail Link. It reaches Dhaka in 3.45 hours. The expenses will have to be met with the income of the railway. Subsidies have to be given in all sectors.
The adviser to the Ministry of Railways took the responsibility and took the initiative to reduce the cost of the Padma Bridge Rail Link project. The cost of one station under construction on the Dhaka-Jashore railway line is reduced by about 14.5 crore taka.
