Padma Multipurpose Bridge

Introduction:

The Padma Bridge, which spans the Padma River in Bangladesh, is a multipurpose road-rail
bridge. It will be the largest bridge in Bangladesh and the country's first fixed river crossing.It
is Bangladesh's most difficult building project in its history. The Padma River separates
Bangladesh's southwest region from the rest of the country. It will link Louhajong,
Munshiganj, Shariatpur, and Madaripur, linking the country's south and north.. The bridge
will boost economic growth by 1.2 percent and give a reliable and reasonably rapid link to
the impoverished south-west, which will see a 2.3 percent increase in GDP.

Geographic Information:

The project's territory is in Bangladesh's south-central region (Munshiganj, Shariatpur, and

Madaripur Districts). The Lauhajang and Srinagar Upazilas in Munshiganj District are
located on the north bank (Mawa) of the Padma Bridge, whereas the Janjira Upazila in
Shariatpur District and Shibchar Upazila in Madaripur District are located on the south side
(Janjira).

Bridge Details:

 Contractor: China Major Bridge Engineering Co. Ltd, China

 Main Bridge Length: 6.15 Km
 Viaduct: 3.148 Km (Road), Rail 532m
 Approach Road: 12 Km
 Total Spans: 41
 Upper Deck: 22m Wide Deck Slab
 Lower Deck: Single Track Dual Gauge Rail
Project Funding & Financing:
The development partners have concluded the financing strategy and loan signing (WB,
ADB, JICA, IDB).

Project Financing Agency Amount (USD in Millions)

1. World Bank (WB) 1200.00
2. Asian Development Bank (ADB) 615.00
3. Japan International Co-Operation Agency 415.00
(JICA)
4. Islamic Development Bank (IDB) 140.00
5. Government of Bangladesh (GoB) 602.96
Total 2972.06
Estimated Project Cost (According to Final Design):
BDT 287933.88 Million or,
USD 3.692 Billion (Including VAT and IT)
Project Cost Overview (2nd Revised DPP)

Work Component DPP Cost in BDT (Million)

1. Main Bridge 12,1333.9
2. Approach Roads 12km with Toll Plaza and SA- 2 1,9076.7
3. River Training Works (RTW)- 13.8km 9,4000.0
4. Resettlement 1,5150.0
5. Land Acquisition- 1530.00 hectors 1,2987.3
6. Environment 1290.3
7. Consultancy 6783.7
8. Others (Salary, Transport, CD VAT and Tax, PoE, 1,7311.7
Physical and Price Contingency, Interest etc.)
  Total Cost 28,7933.88

Economic Impact:
The economic impact of the bridge was studied by independent World Bank specialists and a
consultancy firm hired by the Bridges Division. According to the study research, the bridge's
economic impact will help boost the south's yearly GDP by 2.0% and the country's total GDP
by more than 1.0 percent. The bridge's development will improve the country's integrated
communication system. The Trans-Asian Highway (N-8) and the Trans-Asian Railway will
connect the country's southern regions. Bangladesh will be connected to India, Bhutan, and
Nepal on a global scale. On both sides of the bridge, economic zones, high-tech parks, and
private industrial cities will be created.. The amount of money invested and the number of
employed people will escalate.
The seaports of Mongla and Payra will be open for business. New and historic tourist spots,
such as Kuakata beach in the southern region, the Sundarbans, the sixty-domed mosque,
Bangabandhu Mazar in Tungipara, and old and new resorts at Mawa and Jazira, will draw
local and foreign travelers. According to estimates from 2010, 12,000 automobiles crossed
the Padma river. If the bridge is opened, traffic could quadruple, with an annual rise of 7-8
percent, bringing the total number of cars to 67,000 by 2050.
Current Status:
Starting Date According to Work Plan: November 2014
Ending Date According to Work Plan: June 2021
All steel and bore Pile drives, as well as the river pier Column, have been completed. On the
42 Pier, all steel struss (Span) was erected. All pier columns of the Janjira and Mawa
Viaducts have been finished; total 2917 roadway deck slabs have been cast and 1,651 have
been erected; total 2,959 railway deck slabs have been produced and 2,226 have been erected
on the spans building work is still ongoing.
Percent Completed: 92%

Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Railway Link

Introduction:

The Chattogram-Cox's Bazar railway project is a 120-km dual-gauge passenger line that
would bridge a village in SouthEeast Bangladesh to Cox's Bazar, one of the most renowned
tourist destinations in the country.The greenfield project is one of seven investment sub-
projects of Bangladesh Railway (BR) focused at improving the country's rail connectivity
with other Asian countries.It's part of the Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) network, and it'll make
it easier to travel to Myanmar and beyond. The South Asia Subregional Economic
Cooperation has given its approval to the project (SASEC).
Project Components:
Phase 1 of the Chattogram – Cox's Bazar Railway Project entails the building of a single line
dual gauge railway track from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar, totaling 103.477 kilometers. The
Project components include:
 New erection of 103.477 km Single Line Dual Gauge Railway Track (Dohazari to
Cox's Bazar)
 Formation of new 09 Railway Stations,and those are Dohazari, Satkania, Lohagara,
Harbang, Chakaria, Dulahazra, Islamabad, Ramu, and Cox's Bazar
 Formation of 4 Large bridges (over 100 meter), 39 Major bridges (50 meter to 100
meter), and 145 culverts.
 Formation of Elephant Crossing (underpass and overpass)
 Formation of Modern Computer Based Interlocking (CBI) signaling system;
 Formation of an ICONIC station building at Cox’s Bazar.

Contractors:

The project's construction is divided into two lots: Lot 1 and Lot 2. Lot 1 was awarded to a
joint venture (JV) between China Railway Engineering Group (CREC) and Toma Group, and
Lot 2 was awarded to a joint venture between China Civil Engineering Construction
Corporation (CCECC) and Max Group. In September of 2017, both contracts were awarded.
Project Financing:
The project is expected to cost $2.013 billion, with the Bangladesh government contributing
$512 million.
In September 2016, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $1.5 billion financing
for the project. ADB provided the first $300 million tranche of the loan in June 2017,
followed by the second $400 million tranche in May 2019. Bangladesh's government will
contribute $50 million to the ADB's second tranche.
The Export-Import Bank of Korea is lending $99.04 million.
Outcome of the Project:
Every year, almost five million tourists visit Cox's Bazar. The train link, once completed, will
allow them to travel quickly to the world's longest sea beach not just from Dhaka, but also
from Bhutan, India, and Nepal via the existing Dhaka-Kolkata rail route. The rail link will
also be connected to the Akhaura-Agartala rail route, which is now under construction.
Travelers from national capital are able to reach Cox's Bazar in underneath six hours, four
hours quicker than the quickest road route currently offered. 
Consistent with project documents, the travel from Kolkata can take sixteen hours.
To improve trade, the new line will connect Cox's Bazar district to sub-regional markets. The
project will boost Myanmar links by offering intermodal facilities for passengers and freight.
The project's dual-gauge lines will provide connections to western Bangladesh and India,
where most railways are broad-gauge, and north-eastern India and Southeast Asia, where
meter-gauge tracks are the norm.
The project aids Bangladesh in achieving its goals set out in its 7th Five-Year Plan and
railway master plan, which include increasing the country's freight market share to 15% and
passenger market share to 10%.

Current Status: Although approximately half of the work has been done to date, the
Authority will not be able to complete the remaining work by the deadline of 2022. As a
result, they've written a letter to the relevant ministry demanding a two-year extension.

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant

Introduction:

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is a 2.4 GW pressurized water reactor (PWR) under
development in Bangladesh's Pabna district on the Ganges' eastern bank. It will be the
country's first nuclear power plant, and it will be built with Russian assistance. The
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) is in charge of the project, which is
governed by the Bangladesh Government's Science and Technology Ministry. Rooppur Unit-
1 and Rooppur Unit-2, each with a capacity of 1.2GW, will make up the nuclear power
station.

Foundation:
Although the Rooppur Nuclear Power Station was conceived in the 1960s, it was not
completed until November 2011, when the Russian Federation and the Government of
Bangladesh inked a strategic co-operation agreement for its development.
By the end of 2013, the project's detailed engineering design and site preparation work had
been completed.
The first concrete for the main construction phase of the Rooppur NPP was poured in
November 2017 after the foundation stone was placed in October 2013. With the laying of
the first concrete, the major construction of Unit-2 began in July 2018.
Rooppur Unit-1 is expected to start up in 2023, while Rooppur Unit-2 is expected to start up
in 2024.

Finance:

In July 2013, the Russian Federation agreed to give a $500 million loan to support the
Rooppur nuclear power plant's preliminary construction activities. In July 2016, Russia
agreed to provide an additional $11.38 billion for the plant's primary building works.
Contractors:
In December 2015, AtomStroyExport (ASE), a Rosatom subsidiary, was named the project's
engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor.
The plant's engineering study and the construction of pilot bases and accommodation camps
were subcontracted to Orgenergostroy.
Inter RAO Engineering, Goldenberg Group of Companies, and Hindustan Construction
Company are among the project's construction contractors.
Fuel Supply Chain:
Rosatom provides all of the gasoline for Rooppur. In August 2019, a contract between
Rosatom's fuel company TVEL and BAEC was signed. In accordance with traditional
Russian practice for such countries, all consumed gasoline will be repatriated to Russia. In
March 2017, a draft deal on used fuel was reached, totaling around 22.5 t/yr from each
reactor (42 fuel assemblies, each with 534 kg of fuel). In August 2017, a new deal for the
repatriation of used fuel for reprocessing was inked.
Safety Measures:
The reactors' safety features comprise boron injection systems for emergency shutdown,
molten catcher, gas removal and spray systems, as well as overpressure protection measures
and emergency power from a standby diesel generator. As an integrated burnable absorber,
the plant uses gadolinium oxide with natural isotope concentration.
Impact of Rooppur Power Plant:
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Project will be using cutting-edge technology and adhere to the
International Atomic Energy Agency's safety criteria (IAEA). The IAEA assisted the country
with site evaluations and the establishment of a radioactive waste management system for its
nuclear power program.
In Bangladesh, the initiative will supply low-cost electricity while also creating new jobs.
Bangladesh presently produces more than 4GW of electricity per year. The new facility will
boost power production and help the country attain energy independence.
Schedule of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (1st Phase) Project:
Unit 1 Unit 2
First Concrete 30 November 2017 August 2018
Fuel Loading October 2022 October 2023
Power Start-up December 2022 December 2023
Provisional Takeover October 2023 October 2024
Final Takeover October 2024 October 2025

References:

Padma Multipurpose Bridge

http://www.padmabridge.gov.bd/fund.php

https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/linked-documents/35049-01-ban-eiaab.pdf

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/views/padma-bridge-its-huge-impact-on-economy-
1613752119

http://www.padmabridge.gov.bd/cstatus.php

Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Railway Link

https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-documents/46452/46452-003-smr-en_1.pdf
https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/chittagong-coxs-bazar-railway-line/
https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/chattogram-coxs-bazar-rail-line-to-be-completed-
in-2024-official-1631250293
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant

https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/projects/rooppur-nuclear-power-project/

https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-a-f/bangladesh.aspx
http://www.rooppurnpp.gov.bd/site/page/c5548966-b0c7-493d-bf13-
e0aa65d6df52/nolink/nolink/-