special
Southwestern districts cheer as Dhaka-Bhanga rail link via Padma Bridge opens Tuesday
The wait of the people of southwestern districts will come to an end as the much-desired Dhaka-Bhanga railway connectivity via Padma Bridge will be opened on Tuesday (October 10, 2023).
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the 82-kilometre railway track from Dhaka to Faridpur’s Bhanga upazila under “Padma Bridge Rail Link Construction Project”.
She is likely to go to Faridpur by train and will address a rally at 2 pm at Kazi Abu Yusuf Stadium in Bhanga Upazila headquarters, according to project officials.
Project Director Brigadier General Syed Ahmed said already the trial runs of a passenger train and a freight train have been completed on the route successfully.
Project details
On October 14 last year, the prime minister opened the construction work on a rail link between Dhaka and Jashore under the ‘Padma Bridge Rail Link Construction Project.’
Read: Test run: Train reaches Faridpur’s Bhanga from Dhaka via Padma Bridge
The railway line is being constructed in three phases (plus a 3km link being built between Dhaka and Gandaria): 37km Gandaria-Mawa section, a 42km Mawa-Bhanga section, and an 87km Bhanga Junction-Jashore section. Some 43.2km of loops, siding and Y-connections bring the total track length to 215.2km.
The entire railway project from Dhaka-Jashore is scheduled to be completed by June, 2024.
There will be 20 stations from Dhaka to Jashore, of which 14 are new and 6 are already there. The previous stations are also being modernised. Once completed, trains will be able to run at a speed of 120 to 130 kilometres.
Read: Dhaka-Bhanga railway track via Padma bridge all set for trial run on Thursday
There will be no railway crossing anywhere on the Dhaka-Jashore railway line as underpasses are being constructed at each level crossing all the way from Dhaka to Jashore.
The distance from Dhaka to Bhanga is about 82 kilometres. The new railway line from Gandaria in Dhaka has been added to the Padma Bridge via Keraniganj.
Trains will be able to run from Kamalapur to Bhanga via Gandaria along the Dhaka-Narayanganj railway line.
Under the project, 100 modern passenger coaches have already been purchased. New trains will be introduced by decorating the rakes with them.
The Padma Bridge rail link project was approved on May 3, 2016. At that time, its construction cost was estimated to be around Tk 34,989 crore. When the project proposal was amended on May 22, 2018, the cost increased to Tk 39,247 crore. The cost may increase further, according to concerned authorities.
The Padma Bridge rail link project is being constructed with Chinese funding, on the basis of G2G (government to government). Chinese contractor China Railway Engineering Group (CREC) is working on the project. China's Exim Bank is providing a loan of $ 266.79 crore to implement the project.
Read: ICC World Cup Trophy travels to Padma Bridge
The rest of the cost is being managed by the government of Bangladesh.
What people think about the rail link
UNB Faridpur correspondent reports: The long-cherished dream of southwestern region's people including Faridpur, Gopalganj, Madaripur and Narail will come into reality through the opening of the rail connectivity.
It will ensure safe journey of commuters from Dhaka to southwestern region at an affordable rate.
Talking to UNB, Abul Foyez Shah Newaz, a freedom fighter, said “Once country's independence was a dream to us, the train movement over the Padma Bridge was also a dream for the people of this region and the dream has come into reality with the sincere efforts of the government.”
Read: Padma bridge project cost increased further by Tk 1,117 cror
Neglect of drainage system amid lack of coordination between agencies worsening waterlogging in Dhaka
The residents of the capital continue to endure significant hardships due to waterlogging, and the crisis is only exacerbated by the blame-game of allegations and counter-allegations prevailing among different agencies of the government.
This recurring issue plagues the capital whenever sustained rainfall occurs, leaving the residents to contend with the consequences. The root cause lies in the inadequate coordination between the two city corporations and other government agecies responsible for maintaining the drainage system in Dhaka.
There is a palpable lack of attention towards maintaining the cleanliness of Dhaka's canals and sewers, i.e. prevent them from becoming clogged. The drainage channels choked with debris, impeding the swift flow of water, leading to severe flooding during rainfall, such as the deluge witnessed on September 21, when four people tragically lost their lives as they were electrocuted by a live electric cable that tore off and fell on the water.
Dhaka city corporations grapple with persistent waterlogging problem on multiple fronts
From October 5-6, the capital experienced sporadic heavy, moderate, and drizzling rain for two consecutive days, accumulating 90 mm of rainfall. The resulting waterlogging affected various areas of Dhaka and amplified the long-standing predicament faced by the city dwellers.
The stagnant water in the capital typically drains into surrounding rivers through three channels, including a pump station, sluice gates, and canals. However, most of the sluice gates under Dhaka South City are nonfunctional, and the canals are ill-suited for efficient water flow, perpetuating the annual flooding woe for the city's populace.
Adjacent to Kamalapur Stadium, Dhaka South City Corporation's pump station theoretically has the capacity to drain 8,55,000 litres of water per minute. Regrettably, the station becomes inoperable after heavy rainfall due to non-functional drains and box culverts. This malfunction underscores the pressing need for systematic improvements in the city's drainage infrastructure.
The devastating flooding witnessed on September 21 impacted several key areas, including Old Dhaka, Motijheel, Badda, Malibagh, Rampura, Shantinagar, Mouchak, Bailey Road, Kakrail, Gulistan, Shahbagh, Banglamotor, Dhanmondi, Karwan Bazar, Farmgate, Mirpur, Tejgaon, Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Bhatara, Bashundhara, and Khilkhet. Some of these areas remained waterlogged even a day later.
Rain paralyses life in capital, causes fatalities
It seems the buck stops nowhere as various entities deflect responsibility as the city faces another bout of severe waterlogging.
Professor Adil Muhammad Khan from Jahangirnagar University's Department of Urban and Regional Planning said that Dhaka South City Corporation has allocated approximately Tk 225 crore for waterlogging alleviation projects.
“Despite these investments in canal renovation, drainage, and water drainage system development, the city remains ensnared in the grip of waterlogging, primarily due to the drainage system's inherent limitations,” he said
He underscored the critical need for coordinated efforts between the government organisation and urged for continuous accountability.
“Organisations engage in constant buck-passing as waterlogging persists. The accountability of each task should be ensured by adopting a coordinated plan in coordination with various organisations. Just spending money is not enough, accountability is necessary. Proper plans should be made to deal with waterlogging,” he added.
Heavy rain leaves DU dorms waterlogged; students still suffering
Professor Adil, also the General Secretary of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, said that only 30 percent of Dhaka's areas are planned, leading to waterlogging in the remaining 70 percent during light rains.
Disparity has also been created between the government's road development and drainage systems. This has created public outrage, he said.
“The water will go to the pump station through the drains, but they do not have enough water flow. There is a lack of coordination between the city corporation and other service agencies in the drainage system. Therefore, the two cities have to work on a permanent solution in a planned manner," said the urban planning expert.
In this regard, Asif, a resident of Dhaka, told UNB, “The mouths of these drains are supposed to be cleaned regularly by the City Corporation workers, but they are not being cleaned even after 6 months. It is not enough to sweep the streets just to show people. Every drainage system should be kept clean on time.”
Floodwater from Nayapaltan, Segunbagicha, Kakrail, Shantinagar, Shahjahanpur, Motijheel, and Kamalapur accumulates in the TTpara pump station, but operational issues persist. Similarly, the Dholaikhal pump station, responsible for draining water into the Buriganga River, faces challenges, with its three high-capacity pumps unable to discharge water effectively.
According to data from the two city corporations, Dhaka WASA maintains 385 km of deep drains, 4 pump stations, and 10 km of box culverts in the capital. Meanwhile, the Water Development Board oversees 52 sluice gates and 1 pump station, and RAJUK oversees 25 km of lakes and 300 km of reservoirs.
DNCC has 1,250 km of drainage lines, and DSCC has 961 km of drainage lines. And, despite the existence of 26 canals under the two city corporations, because of lack of maintenance the water bodies are becoming filled, exacerbating waterlogging during rainfall, according to locals.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam told UNB that 113mm of rain fell continuously in a few hours that day (Sep. 21); therefore, waterlogging occurred in different areas of the capital.
“We are filling and occupying the canals. Apart from that, we dump polythene, bottles, and debris everywhere, which ends up in the drain and obstructs the flow of water. The flow of water has been disrupted; there is waterlogging, and receding flood water takes time,” he said.
“Sheorapara, Madhubagh, Khajur Bagan, the road next to the Parliament building, and the road in front of the Navy used to sink once. But that is not the case now. If there is flooding, the water also recedes. We will not allocate spaces for constructing roads in Dhaka if they are less than 20 feet. Because if the road is less than 20 feet, there is no place for a drainage system. There are still many roads that are less than 20 feet wide. They are mainly the problem of waterlogging,” he added.
The DNCC Mayor mentioned they have formed 10 Rapid Action Teams and said, “Our challenge now is to make the roads at least 20 feet wide. And we have started the work of enlarging the drains in narrow roads so that the water can go down quickly. We have already started these works in Dakshinkhan and Azampur.”
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said, they are giving utmost importance to waterlogging.
“In the last three years, infrastructure construction and development work have been done at 136 places at a cost of Tk 225 crore to alleviate waterlogging. If we implement short, medium, and long-term action plans, waterlogging will reduce,” he said.
Taposh said, “This is a very difficult and huge project. Formulating the project, getting project finance, then tendering and starting the work, all fall into a long process and take a long time. For this, we have been doing the work with our funds to advance the work that we have the ability to do. This is our strategy so that it does not take ten long years like Hatirjheel.”
“When we started (waste removal, squatter eviction, and demarcation) last year, it did not have a river basin. We managed to do that. Now the water is flowing. Water is draining. Congestion has been resolved. So we have completed the initial work. If we had waited for the project nothing would have happened by now. We expect that it may take three years to pass the project and complete the work. In the meantime, we will continue the work of our initiative,” he added.
Concrete bridge costing Tk 69 lakh with no approach road in Lalmonirhat
Despite completion, a concrete bridge built at the cost of Tk 69 lakh over Itapota canal in Sadar upazila of Lalmonirhat district has not been fully functional for over one year due to no approach road on both sides.
During a recent visit to the bridge site, this UNB correspondent found that there are no connecting roads on either side of the bridge as the contractor left it abandoned.
Bridge over canal in Kurigram: No renovation since Pakistan era
According to the Sadar upazila project implementation sources, the 50 ft long and 14 ft wide bridge over the Itapota canal was constructed at a cost of Tk 68,68,703 under the Disaster Management Department in 2021-22 fiscal year.
The construction work was finished in May, 2022, but the contractor firm has not handed over the project to the authorities concerned yet. About 80 percent payment of the total project has been made to the contractor.
Stop construction of bridges on 6 rivers in Jashore: National Committee to protect shipping, roads
Local people have made a bamboo bridge on both sides of the concrete bridge to use it which is also at risk of collapse any time.
Some 15,000 people of Itapota, Bangram, Chararpar, Kharua and Bumka villages are using the bamboo bridge every day, putting their lives at risk.
Sahara Begum, said, “A concrete bridge was built over the canal but the authorities concerned did not build an approach road to use it. We, with our children, have to cross the bamboo bridge first to use the concrete bridge, which is strenuous for us.”
Habibur Rahman Habib, chairman of Mogalhat Union Parishad, said, “A meeting was held over the perilous situation of the concrete bridge and the contractor firm has been asked to build connecting roads on both sides of the bridge. They also assured us of starting their work after water recedes.”
50 years without a concrete bridge!
Mashiur Rahman, Sadar Upazila Project Implementation Officer, said that soil dumped on both sides of the concrete bridge had caved in during flash floods several times and the contractor firm is taking steps to put more soil and do the piling work.
With promise to transform country’s aviation sector, Dhaka Airport’s Terminal 3 set for soft opening today
The much-anticipated third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, which promises to transform the face of the country’s aviation sector, is set to have its soft opening on Saturday morning (October 7).
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will officially inaugurate the new terminal for the country’s leading international airport, that stands out as one of the most talked-about and exciting among all the ‘megaprojects’ undertaken by the AL-led government.
Rehearsals are currently underway on-site in preparation for the inauguration program. Once the prime minister has completed the formalities, a special flight operated by state-owned Biman Bangladesh will depart from Dhaka using the newly constructed third terminal. Ground handling services for this special flight will be provided by the airline.
Target set for Dhaka Airport Third Terminal's full functionality by December 2024: CAAB Chairman
Preparations for the inauguration are being carried out collaboratively by the Biman Bangladesh Airlines Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB). A Biman flight, BG371 to Kathmandu, has already departed twice from the terminal to rehearse for the opening, although immigration and other paperwork was not done there.
Talking to UNB ahead of the inauguration, Air Vice Marshal M. Mafidur Rahman, chairman of CAAB, said that approximately 90 percent of the construction of Terminal 3 has been completed under the Shahjalal International Airport Expansion Project (Phase I).
Apart from the main terminal, the cargo complex comprising both export and import facilities, is nearly complete, said the CAAB chairman: “The cargo complex is in its final stages and is expected to be operational by March or April.”
HSIA Terminal 3: Final preparations on course for Oct 7 inauguration
Security arrangements for the airport have been meticulously planned for Saturday’s soft opening.
“Our target is to make the terminal fully functional for passengers by December 2024. The work is progressing ahead of schedule, and we are confident that the terminal will be operational before the planned deadline,” he said.
Meanwhile Md. Shafiul Azim, managing director of Biman Bangladesh, told UNB the national flag carrier is fully prepared for the soft opening of Terminal 3.
“New equipment has been procured for the ground handling of Terminal-3, and international standard uniforms have been provided to the staff on duty. The airline conducted exercises, including ground handling, in preparation for the inauguration,” he said.
Terminal 3 is expected to provide a sea-change in terms of passenger experience and choice in a state-of-the-art setting. It starts with the 37 aircraft parking spaces, which has already seen some airlines that never flew to Bangladesh before, make queries to include Dhaka as a destination in the near future.
Soft opening of Dhaka airport’s 3rd terminal on Oct 7: CAAB Chief
The 26 boarding bridges (of which 12 are to be launched in October), along with 115 check-in counters, including 15 self-service, promise a breezier experience for anyone departing Dhaka, or flying in. .
The baggage handling system will be on the ground floor, departure lounge and boarding bridge on the second floor, and extensive duty-free shops and exit lounges.
Terminal 3 will have the capacity to serve 1.20 crore (12 million) passengers annually on its own, once fully operational. At present the airport is able to serve 80 lakh (8 million) passengers in a year. A multi-storey car parking facility, customs hall, VIP and VVIP passenger areas, and a transit passenger lounge are also part of the terminal's offerings.
The three-storey terminal, designed by Rohani Baharin of internationally renowned CPG Corporation (Private) Limited Singapore, will have a floor space of 230,000 square metres. Baharin’s CV includes the acclaimed third terminal of Singapore’s Changi Airport, as well as Ahmedabad’s new international airport.
The second phase of the project will involve constructing a corridor and the multi-level car parking building with 1,350 parking spaces.
In terms of passenger convenience, the new terminal will introduce automated passport control or e-gates, reducing wait times. Passengers can choose self-immigration through the e-gates or opt for assistance at one of 56 exit immigration counters. A modern fire-fighting system and advanced security screening process will enhance safety measures.
Read more: Groundhandling contract for Terminal 3 will go to Japan: CAAB chairman
The terminal will also include movie lounges, food courts, airline lounges, and world class duty-free shops. Facilities like Wi-Fi, mobile charging, prayer areas, and a Meeters and Greeters Plaza are thrown in for good measure.
Additionally, special arrangements have been made for mothers, including breastfeeding booths, diaper-changing areas, and a family bathroom. Children will have a dedicated play area.
The project, originally with an estimated cost of Tk 13,610.47 crore, got the nod of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in October, 2017. However, the cost rose substantially later on as the entire vision changed and it was decided to go for a world class facility with the potential to transform the aviation sector in the long term. The final cost approved for the project stands at Tk 21,400 crore.
JICA, the Japanese government’s international development agency, has been helming the project as the main financier, with a consortium of three leading international firms - Mitsubishi, Samsung C & T (the construction arm of Samsung) and Fujita JV - contracted to implement it. It marked the first and till now only project in Bangladesh for Samsung C & T, the firm behind such international landmarks as the Burj Khalifa, Taipei 101, and the Petronas Towers, among others.
Read more: Govt will decide on ground handling at Dhaka airport’s third terminal and Biman is ready: CEO
Despite challenges, govt hoping to restore economy’s pre-Covid momentum in current fiscal
The government of Bangladesh is hoping to return the economy to its pre-COVID growth momentum by the end of the current fiscal (2023-24), although that presents a significant challenge in the face of a clutch of economic headwinds.
The government’s vision for economic recovery is outlined in the "Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement 2023-24 to 2025-26," prepared by the Macroeconomy Wing of the Finance Division, under the Finance Ministry.
It maintains that with the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the economy was knocked off its fast-paced growth trajectory for large parts of the last three years. The first confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Bangladesh were reported in March 2020, less than three months after the outbreak in Wuhan.
Recently published quarterly GDP data (in keeping with a condition set by the IMF) bears this out. It reveals that the economy contracted by a massive 7.86 percent in the last quarter of the 2019-20 fiscal (April to June 2020), as the virus spread throughout the globe.
Read more: Financing, technology and innovation needed for just transition to greener economy: Shahriar Alam
According to the quarterly data released retrospectively by the Bureau of Statistics (BBS) last month, GDP had grown by between 6.5 to 8 percent in the first three quarters of 2019-20. That reflects the extent to which the wind was knocked out of the economy by the negative growth (contraction) in the fourth quarter.
The slump induced by Covid would keep economic performance depressed through the first two quarters of the next fiscal (2020-21). It wasn’t until the 3Q (January to March, 2021) that the first signs of a recovery would become visible.
As the 2021-22 fiscal kicked in, Bangladesh looked ready to put Covid-19 behind it, having implemented a successful vaccination programme and lifted lockdown restrictions. The economy rallied robustly, and GDP growth touched 10 percent in the third quarter (January to March 2022).
Yet even as the recovery was underway, the seeds for it to stumble were sown halfway across the globe, with Russia going to war in Ukraine in February 2022. The resulting volatility in international energy markets and supply chain disruptions would knock the momentum out again, of the country’s post-Covid recovery.
Read more: World Bank forecasts Sri Lankan economy to grow by 1.7% in 2024
Although there was nothing like the contraction precipitated by Covid-19, the economy did experience a severe slowdown in the last quarter of FY22, slipping to just 2.6 percent from the previous quarter’s high of 10 percent.
“Bangladesh also braced for impacts on its economy. However, actual data shows that Bangladesh did impressively even during the height of the Covid-19 outbreak and is expected to return to pre-Covid growth trajectory by the end of FY 2023-24,” the statement surmises.
If everything goes according to plan and ‘assumptions hold’, it says that 8 percent GDP growth rate can be attained again in 2025-26.
“Therefore, the deviation of the actual from the planned growth envisaged in the 8th FYP (Five Year Plan) remained small,” it said.
Read more: Bangladesh economy hit hard by Ukraine war
The Macroeconomic Policy Statement mentions capital accumulation is key for development and hence the government aims to foster private investment along with public investment towards fulfilment of its goals..
Total investment in FY 2021-22 stood at 32 percent of GDP in which the contribution of the private and the public sectors were 24.5 and 7.5 percent, respectively. To achieve the long and medium-term growth targets, the level of investment will need to be increased further.
The statement points out that there is room to increase the implementation rate of public investment. If the pace of implementation of development projects can be increased, the required level of investment can be attained.
“Recognising this, the government has taken steps to bring about some structural changes in both project design and implementation levels,” it says in the statement.
Read more: BGMEA-Circle Economy ink MoU to accelerate garment, textile sector’s transition towards circular economy
The Finance Division document said that the Russia-Ukraine war has put global energy supplies at risk. Russia is a major global supplier of energy and hence when the war broke out, commodity prices spiked fast.
Bangladesh started to suffer from this like almost all other countries. By December 2022, point-to-point inflation rose to 8.7 percent and then further rose to 9.3 percent by March 2023.
However, global commodity prices are already falling, and central banks have raised policy rates and because of this it is expected that inflation will come down in the coming months.
The IMF has projected that the measures taken by the governments will help reduce inflation in the medium-term. The Finance Division has projected that average inflation will fall significantly to 6.0 percent in 2023-24, although there has been no indication of it through the first quarter (July to September).
Read more: Bangladesh Budget 2023-24 passed in parliament
In order to tame inflation and protect the incomes of the poor, the government has emphasised increasing the domestic production of essential items, while gradually tightening monetary policy.
The document says that food inflation hurts the poor the most. Keeping this in mind, the government through various measures, including subsidies and incentives, encouraged the growth of agricultural output.
To support the agriculture sector, disbursement of credit to the sector has been increased.
By the end of February 2023, the disbursement of agricultural credit and non-farm rural credit amounted to Tk. 210.66 billion in the first 8 months of the last fiscal, which was almost 14 percent higher, year on year.
Read more: Why inflation persists at a higher level in Bangladesh
With the help of supportive policies of the government, the general index of industrial production (medium and large-scale manufacturing) has been on the rise, reflecting expanded industrial production.
Dr Masrur Reaz, a prominent economist and public policy analyst, believes it would be very challenging to regain the pre-Covid momentum within the current fiscal, since a number of macroeconomic indicators have become unstable.
Talking to UNB, he suggested the government focus on stabilising the macroeconomic situation first, which would make the economy more sustainable in the long run.
Dr Reaz pointed out that high inflation, severe foreign exchange/dollar crisis preventing, among other things, opening of LCs, and the fluctuating value of domestic currency taka, should be resolved first.
Read more: Businesses should get opportunities to turn around before wholesale declaration of loan defaulters: FBCCI President
“To bring the economy back to its pre-Covid growth rate, these issues should be resolved first, which itself would be very challenging and difficult in a short time,” he opined.
Explaining further, Dr Reaz said: “The time is to stabilise the economy rather than focus on growth. In the long run, the economy will grow through reducing the high rate of non-performing loans, keeping inflation within reasonable limits and achieving exchange rate stability.”
Elevated Expressway witnessing 50% higher traffic than expected; almost 1 million use it in first month
Traffic flow on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway has exceeded all expectations and targets, with over 30,000 vehicles on average using it daily till October 2, marking a month since it was opened to the public on September 3.
A total of 900,627 vehicles used the expressway till October 2 since it was formally opened by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on, and a total of Tk 7.29 crore was collected as toll during the period, said Dhaka Elevated Expressway Project Director AHMS Akhtar.
Private cars, taxis, sports utility vehicles, microbuses (less than 16 seats), and light trucks (less than 3 tonnes) are among the Category-1 vehicles that have to pay a Tk 80 toll to use the Expressway. During the first month, 892,250 of the vehicles that used the expressway were in the category, accounting for over 99 percent of all vehicles.
Medium vehicles (up to 6 wheels) are included in Category-2, with a Tk 320 toll. The motorway was used by 1,468 vehicles in this category.
How much did Elevated Expressway earn in tolls in first 3 weeks?
Trucks with more than six wheels are classified as Category-3, with a toll of Tk 400. There were 49 of these vehicles on the expressway during the first month.
And category 4 or all sorts of buses (16 seats or more) pay a toll of 160 taka, with a total of 6,860 vehicles in this category. It accounts for 0.76 percent of all vehicles that used the expressway during the time period.
"We are happy as more vehicles are using the Dhaka Elevated Expressway exceeding our expected target," said Akhtar.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally opened the Airport-Farmgate section of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway by paying a Tk 2,000 toll for her motorcade's 25 vehicles on September 2. The following day, the route from the Airport to Farmgate was opened for vehicular movements. It takes 10–12 minutes to travel from the Airport to Farmgate using the expressway.
Elevated expressway a big step towards Smart Bangladesh: Korean Ambassador
"Though we expected that on average around 20,000 vehicles would use the expressway daily, now the number has increased to more than 30,000 vehicles," Akhtar also said, which means the traffic witnessed is a significant 50% higher than expected.
Replying to a question, the project director said the city’s residents from the Airport to Tejgaon area have been witnessing slightly smoother movement of vehicles on the streets. "We will get the visible benefits when the expressway is fully completed and opened to the public."
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to receive fresh batch of uranium from Russia’s Rosatom at ‘Graduation Ceremony’ tomorrow
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) is going to officially receive a fresh batch of uranium from the Russian contractor, Rosatom, at a formal “Graduation Ceremony” on Thursday (tomorrow, October 05, 2023).
According to official sources, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin are expected to virtually join the historic ceremony to mark the occasion.
Sources said Director General of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, Aleksey Likhachev, will hand over the fuel officially to the project authority in Rooppur project.
Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman will preside over the function while Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will join the ceremony through video conference.
Md. Ali Hossain, Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, said that all arrangements are ready for making the Graduation Ceremony a success.
“We have made all necessary arrangements to mark the historic moment,” he told UNB.
Earlier, the first batch of uranium, the nuclear fuel of the first unit of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, arrived in Bangladesh on September 28.
The consignment of uranium arrived in Dhaka from Russia through a special air cargo and it was moved to the nuclear power plant site by road under heavy security the next day.
The nuclear fuel was brought to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka by a special plane from a factory in Russia.
Read: First batch of uranium for RNPP reaches Rooppur amid tight security
The fuel was produced at the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (NCCP) in Russia, a subsidiary of Rosatom's fuel manufacturing company Tevel.
Rosatom, as a Russian contractor, has been engaged in building the 2400 MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant with two units, each with the capacity of producing 1200 MW electricity.
The nuclear reactor of the first unit of the power plant was loaded in October 2021 while reactor for second unit was installed in October 2022.
The government conceived the idea of setting up the RNPP project in 2009 and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Russian Federation on May 13 in 2009 on the “Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.”
On January 15, 2013, an agreement regarding State Export Credit of US$ 500 million was signed for carrying out preparatory phase construction works of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
The government signed a US$12.65 billion general contract (GC) in 2015 with the Russian Federation for building the nuclear power plant in Rooppur.
Bangladesh signed a credit agreement with Russia to obtain $11.385 billion Russian credit for RNPP in July 2016. The credit covers 90 percent of the project cost.
Read: Support truss installed at Unit-2 reactor building of Rooppur RNPP
The Ministry of Science and Technology recently said that the first unit of the plant may come into operation in July 2024 and the second unit in July 2025.
However, Project Director of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project Dr. M Shawkat Akbar said that the government is expecting to commission the first unit of the RNPP in September next year and second unit in mid of 2025.
Though the 1200 MW first unit of the nuclear power plant at Rooppur is expected to start production from next year, the Power Division and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) are still in dark about the possible tariff of the electricity of the plant.
According to sources at the Power Division, the officials of the BPDP sat in a number of meetings with the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) to discuss a possible power tariff of the plant, but they failed to get a clear picture in this regard.
The BAEC has been implementing the RNPP project and the BPDB will purchase electricity from the Russian-aided plant under a long-term agreement.
A top official of the BPDB, however, said that they have made a primary calculation on the basis of the data derived from the discussions with BAEC and reports in the newspaper and tariff of per unit electricity of the RNPP will be not less than Tk 10.
According to some local experts' calculation the power tariff of the RNPP project will cross $0.08 -0.10 (8-10 US cents).
Read more: Key stage completed in manufacture of RNPP’s first reactor pressure vessel
One of the country's eminent power tariff experts, Mizanur Rahman, former Member of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), said the electricity tariff from the nuclear power project will be more than over $0.085 (8.5 Cents).
Govt has discretionary power to send Khaleda overseas for better treatment: Legal experts
Although the Law Ministry says it has nothing to do about BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s treatment abroad due to legal barriers, some legal experts think the government can still let her go overseas using its discretionary power.
In comments to UNB this week they argued that when the government has extended the tenure of suspension of Khaleda’s sentence for eighth time taking fresh decisions on the application what it is saying "past and closed transaction", it can also give the BNP chief permission to receive treatment abroad in the same way by withdrawing or changing the conditions.
The experts also said the government can issue a fresh executive order allowing Khaleda to leave the country as per section 401 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedures (CrPC).
Citing section 401 (1) of the (CrPC), they said the government can suspend or remit Khaleda’s sentence at any time without conditions or upon conditions.
On October 1, the law ministry denied former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia permission to go abroad for better treatment, suggesting that she must first return to jail and may apply to the court to get permission in this regard.
On September 5, Khaleda's brother Shamim Iskandar submitted an application to the government, seeking her unconditional release and permission to take her abroad for her treatment at an "advanced medical centre" on an urgent basis to save her life.
In response Law Minister Anisul Huq said there is no chance to open the petition, which has already been disposed of as per Section 401 of the CrPC. “We gave the opinion that the petition disposed under Section 401 is a past and closed transaction. There is no other scope to open it," he said.
Sought comments, former law minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed and some pro-ruling party lawyers declined to talk about the matter.
Contacted, eminent jurist and constitution expert Dr Shahdeen Malik said the government can suspend the sentence of any prisoner upon conditions or without condition or can remit the whole or any part of the punishment.
Read: 'Cowardly' govt exposed in handling of Khaleda Zia's treatment: Fakhrul
As per section 401 (1) of the CrPC, he said the government released Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order by suspending her sentence upon two conditions.
“The first condition was the tenure of her release for six months while the second condition was she has to receive treatment in Dhaka,” the expert said.
He said the government has extended the suspension of her jail sentence several times later changing the first condition, but Khaleda Zia did not have to go to jail again for changing this condition. “This means that the government did it with its discretionary power.”
In the same way, Dr Malik said the government can change the second condition by saying she can receive treatment at any ‘suitable’ hospital instead of saying she must receive treatment in Dhaka.
“If the government does it, there’ll be no legal barrier to sending Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment,” he said.
The jurist said he does not agree with the Law Minister's interpretation of section 401 (1) of the CrPc. “It is not clear to me why Khaleda Zia should go to jail again for getting permission to go abroad for treatment.”
He said the government can allow her to go overseas as per section 401 (1) and it can add some more conditions like she cannot do politics abroad and she must return home after receiving treatment.
Read: Comments of ministers, MPs on Khaleda’s treatment cruel: Ganatantra Mancha
Replying to a question, Dr Malik also said he does not think Khaleda needs to go to court for going abroad for her treatment when the government can do it by using its executive power.
Another Supreme Court lawyer Shishir Monir echoed Dr Malik. He said Khaleda Zia needs not to return to jail to get permission or receive treatment overseas if only the government shows its good intentions.
He said the government applied its power with conditions while releasing the BNP chief as per section 401 (1) of the CrPC. “They (govt) can also now apply such power without any condition.”
The lawyer said it is clearly mentioned in section 401 (1) of the CrPC that the government can use its discretionary power at any time. “So, It’s not legally acceptable the law minister’s statement that there is no scope to reconsider Khaleda Zia’s fresh application under section 401 (1) of the CrPC.”
He said the government can remove the legal barriers to taking Khaleda abroad if it only issues a fresh executive order
Shishir said it is not a ‘past and closed transaction’ since the government has been increasing the tenure of Khaleda’s release every six months. “Since the government has been extending the suspension of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's jail sentence, it is not a ‘past and closed transaction’. So, the law minister’s interpretation is self-contradictory.”
He said the government suspended the BNP chief’s sentence and released her from jail by an executive order without the court's consultation. “So, it’s the government, not the court, can make a decision on Khaleda Zia’s plea for treatment abroad.”
Read more: People won’t leave streets until govt steps down: Moyeen Khan
BNP law affairs secretary Barrister Kaiser Kamal said it is mentioned clearly in section 401 of the CrPC that the government can release a convicted person and allow to go abroad by its executive order.
He said there are precedents of releasing state prisoners for treatment abroad in national and international laws. But the government did not consider the application for allowing Khaleda Zia to go abroad out of political vengeance.
The government in March 2020 suspended Khaleda's jail sentence and released her from jail on two conditions in response to an application by her family.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka since August 9 as she has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, and eye problems.
DAP: Keraniganj to get park on 442 acares, bigger than botanical garden, Ramna park
‘Sheikh Hasina Regional Park’, set to be established on 442 acares of land in Keraniganj under Detailed Area Plan (DAP 2022-2035),will be Dhaka’s largest park, surpassing National Botanical Garden and Ramna Park.
Mushtaq Ahmed, the Chief Architect of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), said Rajuk has already appointed an implementation and consulting firm for the park, and a consultant team has been engaged for the construction work.
They are working on the park's design, he said.
Read: As 3-month ban on tourism ends, Sundarbans abuzz with local and foreign travellers
Rajuk's urban planner Mohammad Ashraful Islam, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, and Keraniganj Upazila Chairman Shaheen Ahmed, in collaboration with Rajuk's project team have finalized location of the park.
The construction of this park is expected to commence shortly, he said.
Detailed Area Plan 2016-2035 for Dhaka Metropolitan Region aims to create an eco-friendly and modern city by constructing five large regional parks, 49 water-based parks, eight eco parks (including Bhawal Shal Forest), and nine other parks and playgrounds.
Read: Chapainawabganj agriculture entrepreneur’s innovative mango cultivation technique doubles yield
As part of this initiative, Rajuk has acquired approximately 422 acres of land in Subhadhya, Kullirchak, Baghair, and Kazirgaon mouzas of Keraniganj upazila in Dhaka, designating it as Sheikh Hasina Regional Park. The proposed land use for this park is designated as open space.
Rajuk also intends to construct a new 100-feet road on the western side of Sheikh Hasina Regional Park. The project is currently awaiting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s approval.
At a programme here recently Nasrul Hamid told reporters that National Botanical Garden was established in 1961 on 208 acres or 624 bighas of land near the National Zoo. After that area, Ramna Park is in second place with an area of 68.5 acares. Sheikh Hasina Regional Park in Keraniganj will set a new record in terms of size, surpassing the botanical garden and Ramna Park, he said.
Read: Country’s first electrical testing laboratory on the cards
Several senior officers from Rajuk, along with local MP and Upazila Chairman, recently visited the proposed park location in Keraniganj. The delegation included Rajuk member and project planner Mohammad Nasir Uddin, member (development control) Samsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Bangladesh University of Engineering (Buet) Professor Md. Al Amin, and others.
Country may witness 70% surplus in electricity generation capacity this winter
More than two-thirds of the total power generation capacity will remain idle this coming winter, as more power is added to the national grid from the private sector pushing up the capacity payment obligation of the government of Bangladesh.
It comes at a time when already the government’s outstanding bills to the private sector power producers has ballooned out to $3.5 billion.
According to the Power Division’s official statistics, as of September 13, 2023, the country's power generation capacity was 27,834 MW including off-grid renewable and captive power, while the highest generated in a day was 15,648 MW.
Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) official data shows the country generated 14,021 MW on September 26, while covering the excess demand by resorting to load shedding of 113 MW.
It means half the power generation capacity remains utilised, while load shedding is also unavoidable.
Read: Japan provides $1500 million to implement Matarbari coal-fired power plant
According to power industry insiders, the surplus power situation will be getting worse in the coming winter with more electricity coming to the national grid from the private sector power plants in the next few months and installed generation capacity may cross 30,000 MW, increasing the surplus electricity to about 70 percent as demand usually dips during the season.
The expected boost to capacity includes 1,224 MW from S Alam Group’s power plant in Bashkhali of Chattagram (of which first unit of 620 MW already came to the grid), 718 MW electricity from Reliance Power LNG-based Plant in Meghnaghat, 590 MW from LNG-based GE-Summit Meghnaghat-2 power plant and 584 MW from LNG-based Unique Group’s power plant in Meghnaghat.
The sponsors of these plants are working hard to persuade the government to allow them to officially commission their plants as all of them are ready for operation. But due to shortage of gas they are not allowed to start operation.
Read: First shipment of uranium for Rooppur nuclear power plant arrives in country
In the meantime, more electricity from some of the recently completed power plants already came to the grid, including the second unit of the Adani Group’s 1,600 MW coal-fired power plant, and 620 MW from the second unit of Rampal Power Plant.
Last winter, the power generation came down to below 10,000 MW with the decreasing demand.
BPDB record shows the generation was recorded at 9,134 MW on December 31 in 2022. Experts believe the generation will remain below 10,000 MW in the coming winter as demand is not increasing at a faster pace.
Though 70 percent electricity will remain idle, the sponsors will get their payments in the form of capacity charges as per their contract with the government, said the BPDB officials.
Read: Climate change and the shift to cleaner energy push Southeast Asia to finally start sharing power
The government is already struggling to keep up with its payments owed to the private power producers.
Officials at the Power Division and BPDB said currently the total owed to the Independent Power Producers (IPPS) is $3.5 billion (equivalent to over Tk 35,000 crore) as of September 2023.
As per contract with the government, the IPPs are facing dual problems with their bills. First, they are not getting bills on time and secondly, they are getting partial bills, but not being able to convert the payment into foreign exchange due to the dollar crisis.
A top BPDB official admitted the problem to UNB, saying that they had reached an understanding with Bangladesh Bank under a mediation of the Finance Ministry that the central bank will provide on average $20 million every day to BPDB to cover its costs.
Read: Power Cell engages top US consultancy in move towards ‘Smart Grid’
“But we’re not getting more than $10-15 million a day,” a top BPDB official told UNB on condition of anonymity as the issue is very sensitive and he is not allowed to speak on the issue.
Energy experts said the country is heading for problems in the power sector and it would have a big impact on the overall economy pushing up inflation further.
Eminent energy expert and advisor to the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Prof M Shamsul Alam said that with the 50 percent surplus power in summer and 70 percent in winter, the country will be heading towards a disastrous situation.
Read: S Alam Group’s 1320 MW Banshkhali coal-fired power plant starts commercial operation
“There will be a big indiscipline in the power sector as pressure for private sector’s capacity payment will continue to go up while import of primary fuel will be increasing. Finally, it will lead to energy insecurity,” he told UNB.
In such a situation, he said, the only way-out is that the government has to admit first it has done a mistake by giving permission to the private sector for excessive power generation without consideration of the demand and then change the current policy and strategy.
Otherwise, the situation will be more difficult to manage as pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is coming to raise electricity tariff again. If so, it will further push up inflation, he added.