The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) has sanctioned a project to build a rail-cum-road bridge over the Karnafuli River in Chattogram's Kalurghat area, at an estimated cost of Tk11,560.77 crore.
This ambitious project is expected to ensure uninterrupted rail communication between Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, and Dhaka.
In 2018, Ecnec rejected an earlier proposal from the Ministry of Railways for a bridge in the same area, which had a budget of Tk1,163 crore, citing the need for revisions. The newly approved project now stands at nearly 10 times the initial estimate.
The approval was granted on Monday (7 October) during the second Ecnec meeting under the interim government, chaired by Chief Advisor Dr Muhammad Yunus at his office.
According to Wahiduddin Mahmud, planning adviser to the government, a total of four projects were approved during the meeting. Two are fresh initiatives, while the other two involve revisions of ongoing projects. The cumulative cost for these four projects is Tk24,412.94 crore, with Tk7,746.66 crore being sourced from the public exchequer, Tk653.95 crore from the implementing agencies’ own funds, and Tk16,012.33 crore from foreign loans and grants.
Officials confirmed that the Kalurghat rail-cum-road bridge will be executed by Bangladesh Railways and is expected to be completed by December 2030.
Of the total cost, the government will contribute Tk4,435.63 crore, while South Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) and Enterprise Development Property Fund (EDPF) will provide a loan of Tk7,125.34 crore.
Additionally, Ecnec approved the second revision of the Matarbari Port Development Project, with an updated cost of Tk24,381.40 crore.
Initially approved in 2020 at Tk7,777.16 crore, the project cost has since increased by Tk6,604.24 crore, reflecting a 37.15% rise in expenses.
Ecnec also approved the second revision of the SASEC Road Connectivity Project-2, aimed at upgrading the Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur road to a four-lane highway.
The revised project now stands at Tk19,056.61 crore, up from the original Tk11,899.01 crore approved in 2016, with the cost increase attributed to delays in implementation.
The additional Tk7,157.60 crore represents a 60.15% hike from the initial budget.
