ECNEC okays 3 metro rail projects
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday approved 12 projects worth an estimated Tk 1,68,780 crore, including three metro rail schemes intended to expand environment-friendly mass transportation in the capital.
The approvals came at the third ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year, FY27, held at the NEC Conference Room in the Bangladesh Secretariat’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area, with ECNEC Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair.
State Minister for Planning Md. Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki and Planning Division Secretary SM Shakil Akhter briefed reporters after the meeting.
Of the total project cost, Tk 48,256.30 crore will come from the government of Bangladesh, Tk 1,20,466.39 crore from project loans, and the remaining Tk 57.71 crore from the concerned organisations’ own funds.
New metro line, two revised
The meeting approved a new metro rail project, MRT Line-5 Southern Route, at a cost of Tk 45,503.76 crore, and gave positive consideration to cost revisions for two ongoing metro rail projects, MRT Line-1 and MRT Line-5 Northern Route.
The Southern Route will build a 17.20-kilometre corridor from Gabtali to Dasherkandi, of which 13.10 kilometres will run underground. The government will provide Tk 15,197.66 crore for the line, while Tk 30,306.10 crore will come from loans extended by the Asian Development Bank and South Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund.
Cost of two existing lines nearly doubles
The two ongoing metro projects, both originally approved in 2019 at a combined cost of Tk 93,799.97 crore, have now been revised to a combined Tk 2,04,243.25 crore – an increase of Tk 1,10,443.28 crore, or 117.74 per cent.
The revised figure is Tk 9,741.84 crore lower than the Tk 2,13,985.09 crore proposed by Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited in August, after a Project Evaluation Committee meeting on August 30 recommended adjustments.
The revised proposals were sent to the Planning Commission on September 13 following a reassessment of costs related to mainline construction, land development, buildings, electrical and mechanical systems, utility relocation and equipment.
The cost of the 31.24-kilometre MRT Line-1 – which will connect the airport with Kamalapur and include an elevated branch from Natun Bazar to Purbachal – has risen to Tk 1,14,394.89 crore from the Tk 52,561.43 crore approved in 2019, an increase of Tk 61,833.46 crore, or 117.64 per cent.
The government’s contribution will rise 133 per cent to Tk 30,552.26 crore, while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loan will grow 112.53 per cent to Tk 83,842.63 crore.
Officials attributed the increase partly to delays in design and tender preparation during the Covid-19 pandemic and to the complexities of building the country’s first underground metro line.
Changes made during the detailed design stage included larger stations, relocated entrances, exits and ventilation shafts, a three-storey Rajarbagh station, and about 20 kilometres of detour roads for managing traffic during construction.
The cost of the 20-kilometre MRT Line-5 Northern Route, running from Hemayetpur to Bhatara, has increased to Tk 89,848.36 crore from Tk 41,238.54 crore, a rise of Tk 48,609.82 crore, or 117.88 per cent. The government’s share will rise 84.22 per cent to Tk 22,330.11 crore, while the JICA loan will increase 131.89 per cent to Tk 67,518.24 crore.
Under the project, the Hemayetpur-Amin Bazar section will be elevated, while the Amin Bazar-Bhatara section will run underground through densely populated areas. The line, originally slated for completion by 2028, is now expected to be fully operational by December 2032.
Other approved projects
Of the 12 projects approved, five fall under the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry, two each under the Defence Ministry and the Railways Ministry, and one each under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
The two other Road Transport and Bridges Ministry projects are the upgrading of district highways under the Rajshahi Road Zone (Tk 943.87 crore) and the upgrading of district highways under the Chattogram Road Zone in its third phase (Tk 1,459.35 crore).
The two Defence Ministry projects are the second phase of establishing Barishal Cantonment (Tk 1,153.60 crore) and the construction of accommodation facilities for naval personnel in the Khulna Naval Area (Tk 374.14 crore).
Under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, the first revision of the Khulna Sewerage System Development Project was approved with an additional cost of Tk 270.39 crore.
The two Railways Ministry projects approved are the implementation of electric traction along the Narayanganj-Dhaka-Joydebpur section of Bangladesh Railway (Tk 3,822.51 crore) and the first revision of the new dual-gauge railway line from Bogura to Sirajganj, with an additional cost of Tk 4,667.42 crore.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment’s project, “Improved Working Condition and Social Protection for Workers in the Textile and Leather Sector”, was approved at Tk 89.25 crore, while the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources’ first revision for upgrading and expanding the electricity distribution system in Monpura Island Area was approved with an additional cost of Tk 52.8183 crore.
15 smaller projects noted
The meeting was also informed about 15 projects, each involving less than Tk 50 crore, that had already received approval from the Planning Minister. These include the second revision of the Land Management Automation project; the first revision of the construction of the National Headquarters of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society; the first revision of a project to establish a green belt at Bhasan Char and reforest Rohingya-affected areas in Cox’s Bazar; a project on strengthening research, conservation and development of indigenous chicken; and the first revision of establishing a telecommunication network in economic zones, among others.
Other smaller projects noted include the first revision of replacing existing Bailey and other risky bridges in the Rangpur Zone; construction of additional floors at the RDA building; infrastructure work at Jalalabad Cantonment; a first revision of a project to prepare a digital elevation model of Sylhet division for flood forecasting; infrastructure development at Cantonment Public School and College,
Saidpur; further infrastructure development at Military Collegiate School, Khulna; the first revision of the SSPIRIT social protection project; development of the Barguna and Dinajpur district stadiums; and the second revision of the Sylhet-10 well exploration and drilling project.
Ministers and state ministers attended the meeting, along with members of the Planning Commission and concerned secretaries.
