Work on Chandpur BIWTA Terminal Bhaban stalled for over two months

Construction work of the modern terminal building of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and a new jetty on Madrasa Road at Uttar Sreeramdi in Chandpur district town has remained stalled for over two months, creating much resentment among the launch passengers.

Toma Constructions & Co Ltd was implementing the project work of the BIWTA Modern Terminal Bhaban. The building was being constructed at a cost of about Tk 1.0billion (Tk 100 crore).

But after the regime changeover on 5 August last year, the contractor of Toma Constructions fled to Canada, leaving the project work abandoned.

Later a new contractor was appointed on sub-contract basis. But in the meantime he was also terminated, for the reasons only known to the authorities, and the project work has been shelved since June last for want of a contractor and lack of fund.

The World Bank is the only fund provider of the two-year project.

Construction work of the much-hyped BIWTA Modern Terminal Bhaban was stated in an area of 1,500 square metres on the Meghna riverbank.

The proposed building will be a three-storey one where there will be pontoons, sitting arrangements, wash rooms, gangways, parking places, prayer room, breast-feeding corners, external bridge and extended road that will cater to the needs of the passengers.

But when the FE correspondent visited the project site on Thursday afternoon, he found the construction work completely stopped for the last two months.

The project work was scheduled to be completed by July this year. The stipulated time has already ended. But completion of the terminal and jetty work now seems to be a far cry! It is not exactly known when the work will end!.

Deputy Director of BIWTA, Chandpur Bashir Ahmed said, "A sub-contractor was appointed and the timeline for finishing the construction work was extended up to December this year. Accordingly, the contractor was directed to continue the work. But the new contractor was terminated. That's why, for want of a contractor and lack of fund, the work has remained stalled since June last."

He added, "A new contractor will be appointed again by the ministry and then the fund will be allocated and afterwards, the work of the Terminal Bhavan and ghat will resume."

It was observed that the west side of the Terminal Bhaban site is vulnerable to erosion by the Meghna River too. However, a random survey shows that around 25 per cent work of the project has so far been completed.

A few locals guessed that it might take a few more years to finish the entire work of the Terminal Bhaban.

According to the launch owners' representatives-Ali Asgar Sarker , Ruhul Amin, Biplob Sarker and IWTA staff members, every day about 100 passenger launches touch the jetty round the clock.

People have been suffering much for lack of amenities at the jetty site for the past 15 years. They hope that when the work of the new Terminal Bhaban and jetty will be completed,, their sufferings will end forever.

Besides, about 50 passenger launches run from Chandpur to Dhaka and Narayanganj and the passengers of all ages use this terminal jetty regularly .

Every day about 10,000 people use this terminal jetty to avail themselves of the launches bound for Dhaka , Munshiganj, Narayanganj, Shariatpur, Faridpur, Barisal, Bhola etc. and vice versa.

Talking to the FE, many passengers said they have been facing many problems in the old jetty as the work on the new terminal jetty is yet to be completed.

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