DHAKA, June 26, 2018 (BSS) – The Executive Committee of the National
Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved the Bangladesh Railway Rolling Stock
Operations Development Project involving Taka 3,602.07 crore in a bid to
further improve the services of Bangladesh Railway through replacing the old
and dilapidated rolling stocks.
The approval came from the 27th and last ECNEC meeting of the outgoing
fiscal year held at the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar
area with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said a total of 14
projects were approved today involving an overall estimated cost of Taka
16,147.07 crore.
“Of the total project cost, Taka 13,283.64 crore will come from the GoB
portion, Taka 23.89 crore from the organisation’s own fund while the rest of
Taka 2,839.54 crore from project assistance,” he added.
Of the approved 14 projects, nine are new while five are revised projects.
The Planning Minister said out of the total project cost, Taka 3,602.07
crore for the procurement of rolling stock project, Taka 765.53 crore will
come from the state exchequer while the rest of Taka 2,839.54 crore will come
as project assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Bangladesh Railway will implement the project by June 2021.
The Planning Minister said currently Bangladesh Railway has a total of 247
locomotives including 180 meter gauge and 94 broad gauge locomotives.
But, out of the 94 broad gauge locomotives, some 39 locomotives have
economic life while rest of the locomotives are 30 years old. The old engines
are suffering from weak cooling, starting and suspension system side by side
the Power consumption system.
According to the Planning Commission, Bangladesh Railway operates some 88
different types of broad gauge trains every day while considering the
technical aspects, there is now a demand for additional 25 percent
locomotives or 110 broad gauge locomotives.
Apart from this, the BR has some 53 meter gauge luggage vans of which some
48 luggage vans are 47 years old whereas the economic life of a luggage van
is 35 years.
Besides, there is also a need for replacing the expired luggage vans with
modern luggage vans for transporting goods including vegetables and seasonal
fruits in a fast and speedy manner.
Under the present circumstances, the project has been drafted and approved
to procure some 40 broad gauge diesel electric locomotives, some 75 meter
gauge and 50 broad gauge luggage vans, some 400 MG and 300 BG bogie covered
wagons, 180 MG and 120 BG bogie open wagons aimed at incorporating modern,
safe, qualitative standard rolling stocks in the BR fleet as well as
improving the services of Bangladesh Railway.
Referring to the approval of establishing some 560 model mosques and
Islamic cultural centrs (1st revised) in each upazila with Taka 8,722 crore,
AHM Mustafa Kamal, commonly known as Lotus Kamal, said as the fund has not so
far been available from Saudi Arabia, the government has decided to implement
it with own fund.
If the government gets the fund, it will be used for another purpose in
future, he added.
The Planning Minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the
authorities concerned to bring a project in future covering all the rest of
households under the solar power system in the CHT region.
The other projects approved in the meeting are construction of 684 flats
for the government officials and employees in nine multi-storey residential
buildings instead of 11 dilapidated buildings situated at CGS colony at
Agrabad in Chittagong with Taka 482.94 crore, construction of 15-storey
building at the existing location of Bangladesh Bar Council with Taka 117.66
crore, Development of Islamic University (3rd phase) with Taka 497.34 crore,
establishment of computer and language training labs at educational
institutions across the country (3rd revised) with Taka 397.78 crore, office
building construction, renovation of infrastructures, and modernisation of
Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) with Taka 194.84
crore, approach road widening and development of other necessary
infrastructures at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park (1st revised) with
Taka 160.61 crore, establishment of four textile institutes (3rd revised)
with Taka 311.28 crore, Balancing, Modernisation, Rehabilitation and
Expansion of three mills under Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) with
Taka 173.89 crore, Power supply through establishing solar panels in the
remote areas in CHT (1st revised) with Taka 76.06 crore, updating district
highway into due standard and width (Gopalganj Zone) with Taka 488.81 crore
and Updating district highway into due standard and width (Mymensingh Zone)
with Taka 568.42 crore and construction of four-lane flyover on Dhaka-Sylhet
Highway with Taka 353.37 crore.