The 45-year-old Sufia Kamal National Public Library in Dhaka, one of the city's most iconic landmarks, was demolished as part of a modernisation project. It will be housed in a 10-story building at its original Shahbagh site, equipped with modern facilities.
The project, titled "Construction of the Multi-Story Building of the Department of Public Libraries," was initially expected to be completed by December 2024. However, with only a few months remaining, the construction is struggling to progress. To date, the project has faced setbacks across nearly every aspect.
Under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the Department of Public Libraries is overseeing the project, which has an estimated cost of Tk 525 crore, fully funded by the Government of Bangladesh (GoB).
The project aims to enhance administrative services, reader facilities, and cultural activities at the Sufia Kamal National Public Library, while also providing space for the National Library Centre. It includes the construction of both residential and non-residential buildings, as well as the procurement of vehicles, computers, and office equipment.
The Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) recently produced a comprehensive monitoring report on the project, revealing the reasons behind its ongoing struggles to maintain progress over the years.
According to the Development Project Proposal (DPP), the Department of Public Libraries and the Public Works Department (PWD) are jointly responsible for implementing the physical construction work of the project and supervising the on-site construction activities.
The PWD, in collaboration with the contractor PAEL-NDE-MIR AKHTER JV, is overseeing the construction of the non-residential or office building. At present, the construction of the non-residential building is ongoing, while activities related to other project components have yet to commence.
What held the project back?
The IMED, after analysing the work plan for the past three fiscal years (up to March 2024), noted that while some activities have been completed, the project has consistently failed to meet the targets outlined in the proposed work plan.
Several factors have contributed to these setbacks, including the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, delays in appointing contractors, the time taken for relocating offices or libraries, and the formulation of work plans without fully assessing on-ground requirements. Additionally, insufficient budget allocations according to needs, have contributed to the failure to meet the targets set in the DPP.
Each year, budget allocations are requested based on the work plan set out in the DPP. However, the relevant ministry has repeatedly reduced these allocations, forcing adjustments to the project’s implementation. As a result, the desired progress has not been achieved, leaving the project behind schedule.
In FY2023-24, as of March 2024, Tk 43.89 crore has been spent, representing 85.30 per cent of the released funds but only 24.25 per cent of the allocated budget. By the same period, the project's total financial progress stood at 24.25 per cent, while overall progress was at 36 per cent.
None of the procurement activities outlined in the plan were completed within the scheduled timeline. Of the 19 procurement packages, six have been completed, three have been partially completed, and the project office has indicated that procurement for the remaining 10 packages will be carried out in FY2024-25.
The ongoing construction includes an 11-storey non-residential building with two basements, covering a total area of 56,138.70 square metres. As of March 2024, physical progress stands at 34 per cent.
However, overall progress remains behind at 64 per cent as of March 2024. Even if all remaining funds are spent in 2024, total expenditure will reach only Tk 151.86 crore, leaving a balance of Tk 372.38 crore, which the IMED has stated cannot be utilised within the project's specified timeframe.
Over the past three fiscal years, none of the procurement activities were completed according to the designated schedule. The delay in building construction has further hindered procurement activities, resulting in an inability to finalise planned purchases.
The construction progress
Monitoring the construction of the nine-storey office or non-residential building with two basements, part of the Directorate of Public Libraries' multi-storey building project, reveals that as of January 2024, the two basements have been completed, with work on the columns of the lower floor ongoing.
According to the DPP, the area of the first basement was set at 88,961 square feet. However, monitoring shows the actual area is 72,400 square feet. Similarly, for the second basement, the DPP specified 88,961 square feet, while on-site measurements indicate 72,000 square feet. The site engineer from the contracting company stated that once work on the basement next to the tower frame is completed, the targets will align with the DPP’s design specifications.
In the case of the lower floor, the DPP set the area at 89,249 square feet, but monitoring revealed an increase to 92,000 square feet. The site engineer confirmed that after completing the construction work as per the design, the area of the lower floor had increased by 3,039 square feet.
Construction on the second floor is progressing, with 25,000 square feet of work completed during the monitoring period. The DPP designates the second-floor area as 66,093 square feet.
During the monitoring process, the IMED discovered two underground water reservoirs, with a combined area of 2,660 square feet (1,991 square feet and 669 square feet, respectively).
As outlined in the DPP, construction was initially scheduled to commence on December 7, 2021. However, actual work did not begin until October 23, 2022, in accordance with the contractor’s timeline.
While the contract stipulated a completion date of March 4, 2024, the IMED has indicated that it will not be feasible to finish the work within the specified timeframe.
