Uncertainty looms over completion by deadline

Special Correspondent:

Uncertainty looms over the completion of 190km Elenga-Rangpur four-lane as well as Hatikumrul Interchange construction by the deadline due to snail’s pace of works.

Poor management of the projects’ implementing agencies, lack of proper monitoring by the authorities concerned and absence of coordination between the relevant departments, faulty planning in the beginning and extreme negligence of the construction firms are also the main among many other reasons behind the delay of construction works, sources said.

Although, the Project Manager of Hatikumrul Interchange and SASEC-II Engineer Mahbubur Rahman Russel claimed 52 percent progress of the Hatikumrul Interchange project and 82 percent of the SASEC-2 four-lane project, actual scenarios of the sites are different, insiders opined.

Analyzing the claim of the Project Manager, experts questioned that, how it possible to end the rest 48 percent work of the Hatikumrul Interchange by only 11 months, where over three years took to complete only 52 percent of the work?

Besides, there are also doubts about the construction quality and technology used in the project implementation, which could create problems in the sustainability of the highway and transport safety in future.

Due to the lack of clarity about the cost plans and work pace of the contracting companies engaged in the projects and failure to follow the proper procedures, the work time and costs have repeatedly increased year on year.

This time and cost extending game causes fear and frustration among the highway users.

Both the projects Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur 4-lane and Hatikumrul Interchange are also parts of the SASEC-2 (South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation) under supervision of Roads and Highways Department.

It is believed that, Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur 4-lane and Hatikumrul Interchange will play a vital role as part of the trade and communication development of South Asia in future, if complete in time.

Sources said, the 190-kilometer highway development project from Taingail’s Elenga to Rangpur (four lanes) is still suffering from cost and time constraints. The construction of four-lane under supervision of SASEC Road Link Project-II was started in September 2016.

The cost of the project has already been increased by several times in the nine years since the beginning. The deadline has also been extended to December 2026.

The original plan included upgrading the 190-kilometer highway to four lanes and constructing service lanes on the both sides. The initial allocation was Tk 11,899 crore with a completion deadline on August 2021.

Due to the delay in starting the work and the complications of land acquisition along with clutch of Covid-19 pandemic, the project time was extended till December 2024 through first amendment brought in 2019. Then, the allocation was also increased to Tk 16,662 crore.

As the work was not completed in that schedule time, a second amendment was brought in 2023 with the work period expansion by another two years to December 2026. The allocation was also increased to Tk 18,679 crore.

Changing of the land category and complications of its acquisition at different places were mentioned as reasons behind the time and cost extension of the projects. Additional works including construction of flyovers, bridges, underpasses, service lanes, interchange (Hatikumrul interchange), passenger shelters, tree plantation and lighting were also added with it.

The contractors for the 190-km four-lane project are Abdul Monem Limited, Monico Limited, Concord Pragati Consortium Limited and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Limited.

Among the major works, Abdul Monem Limited is upgrading the 13.6 km road to four lanes from two lanes from Elenga to the eastern bank of Jamuna Bridge and also constructing eight bridges, a flyover and 10 culverts.

There is a complaint that, the work of this construction firm is going on amid very slow pace and below standard as most of the top bosses of the firm has gone hidden after the political transformation on August 5, 2024.

Monico Limited is working to construct 30 culverts, bridge and flyover at Palashbari and Borodarga points, a flyover and two culverts at Pirganj point and four bridges and 17 culverts from Borodarga to Adhikari intersection.

Concord Pragati Consortium Limited is involved in constructing bridges and culverts from Bogura to Gaibandha as well as road expansion, drainage system development and service lane construction in areas adjacent to Rangpur.

Construction works have remained incomplete at different places including Hatikumrul intersection in Ullapara upazila, Bhuiyangati in Raiganj upazila of Sirajganj district, Chhonka in Sherpur upazila of Bogura district, Gobindaganj in Gaibandha and Palashbari in Rangpur district so far. Besides, several works from Elenga intersection to the eastern end of the Jamuna Bridge are still incomplete.

Experts seem that, slow pace of works around the busiest Elenga-Rangpur highway and Hatikumrul Interchange are leading traffic chaos and even frequent road accidents at different places in the northern region almost regularly.

Transport drivers, helpers and even commuters are facing health risk due to huge dusts originated from the under construction project works. Besides, they are still being forced to spend extra time and costs during their traveling. Vehicles ply through side lanes instead of the main lane at several places for under construction works. Traffic jams occur whenever the pressure of vehicles is high. The sufferings of travelers get several times high during Eid festival as the pressure of transports then goes up.

On the other hand, China Railway Construction Bridge (CRCB) Engineering Limited is scheduled to construct an international standard interchange at Hatikumrul intersection.

The construction work of Hatikumrul Interchange was started in 2022. Although, the construction was supposed to be completed by December 2024, about one and a half years were lost due to complications in land acquisition. Consequently, the work period of the Hatikumrul Interchange involving at Tk 738 crore was extended until March 2026.

Insiders said, poor monitoring, extreme negligence and massive irregularities of the authorities concerned including project manager Mahbubur Rahman Russel and his associates are blamed for the delay. If the construction works go on such snail’s pace, it will not be possible to implement the projects by the deadline,” they apprehended.

There is an allegation that, violating the government rules, Executive Engineer (EE) and Project Manager Mahbubur Rahman Russel along with his spouse (wife) went China to attend a training programme on ‘Building Information Modeling’ before days of the Eid-ul-Fitr and returned to the country after that festival despite huge pressure of transports on the highway during the Eid holidays. Many believe that, the project manager’s trip to China with his wife at such a sensitive time is a sign of irresponsibility.

There is a prohibition that, officials are not allowed to include their spouses and children as travel companions during government-sponsored foreign trips. The directive further states that, officials must avoid traveling at the expense of contractors or supplier companies. But, Mahbub left the country along with his family just before Eid-ul-Fitr in the name of joining training programme pushing other staffs and officers in trouble.

On condition of anonymity, some officials said, uncertainty over completion of the project works in schedule time has been created due to negligence, irregularities and inefficiency of the Project Manager Mahbubur Rahman Russel, who almost stays absent at working place on several mere excuses.

Eng. Mahbubur Rahman, —Project Manager

Declining the allegations, Engineer Mahbubur Rahman Russel, also Project Manager of the Hatikumrul Interchange and SASEC-2 said, “The work of the projects has been delayed due to manifold problems. Of them, Land acquisition and payment of the land owners’ money were major among others. In the beginning, it has eaten up about 16-month, although the problem has now almost overcome.”

Admitting about the foreign trip along with wife, the project manager Mahbub said, “My family was with me because training date was fixed during the Eid festival. But, the travel along with wife has not affected my professional works at home or even abroad as this year there was no traffic jam on the highway during the Eid holidays like previous years.”

Mahbub also declined to make any comment about the travel expenses of his wife.

Dr. Md. Waliur Rahman, PD, SASEC-II

Dr Md. Waliur Rahman (ID: 005083), Additional Chief Engineer (ACE) and Project Director (PD) of SASEC-II (Improvement of Elenga-Hatikamrul-Rangpur Road to a 4-Lane Highway) said,–

“More time is taken during the foundation of any construction work. But, no more time is needed after erecting the foundation. So, we hope to complete the work in schedule time.”