The foundation stone of the second Bangabandhu Dual Gauge (Double Line) Railway Bridge over the Jamuna River will be laid in November 18. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will officially lay the foundation stone of the bridge.
Necessary preparations have already been completed for the construction of the bridge by the railway ministry.
The construction of the bridge was due to start in March, but the coronavirus pandemic dragged the date to November.
JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), the Japanese contractor will build the 4.8 km railway bridge.
The construction cost of the bridge has been estimated at Taka 16,781 crore. The estimate was revised from Taka 9,734 crore to Taka 16,781 crore.
According to railway ministry sources, the bridge will be built a few yards north of the Bangabandhu Multipurpose Bridge over the Jamuna River. The duration of the revised project has been extended by two years to December 2025.
This dual gauge double-track bridge will be the largest railway bridge in the country.
It will further improve the rail connectivity of the western part of the country with the capital and will help reduce train schedule disruptions across the country.
At present, 44 trains run through the Bangabandhu Bridge’s existing single railway line which will be lifted once the new rail bridge is built. The new bridge will make it easier for trains to travel in double lines.
Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said all the process of starting the work of the bridge has been completed. The foundation stone will be laid in November by the Prime Minister, he said.
The minister also said the Prime Minister may physically go to the banks of the river Jamuna and lay the foundation stone or it can be done through video conference. Arrangements are made for both options.
The government is thinking of operating Bangladesh trains with India. For that purpose, the Chilahati-Haldibari 7-kilometer railway connection has been completed, the minister said.
If everything go accordingly, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate this rail link on December 16 in a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“If it is launched, we will be able to launch Siliguri train from Dhaka,” he said.
In this regard, Project Director Engineer Kamrul Ahsan said the main bridge will be constructed under two packages.
The lion's share (72%) of construction cost will be provided by Japan (JICA).
The eastern part of the bridge will be constructed by TOJ corporation and IHI-SMCC joint venture at a cost of Taka 6,801 crore.
The western part will be built in a joint venture between IHI and SMCC at a cost of Taka 6,148 crore.
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