The Asian Development Bank (ADB), as a transaction advisor for the Government of Bangladesh’s Rampura Amulia Demra Expressway public–private partnership (PPP) project, has mobilized $261 million of private sector capital for a four-lane, 13.5 km expressway. It will ease traffic congestion and provide better connectivity between the capital Dhaka and other major cities. The project is being funded through a $193 million senior loan from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Bank of China, DBS Bank Limited, and Infrastructure Development Company Limited, a nonbanking financial institution based in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s estimated growth higher than forecast for FY 2023: ADB The remaining $68 million is provided by sponsors as equity contributions, ADB said on Thursday. ADB assisted in project structuring, negotiation, tender execution, and provided support for commercial award and financial closure. “We worked with the public authorities in Bangladesh to prepare, market, and attract private sector partners to design, build, finance, operate and maintain this expressway,” said Head of ADB Office of Markets Development and PPP, Cleo Kawawaki. ADB increases support for rural roads improvement in Bangladesh “It will provide commuters with quicker access to their destinations by improving connectivity between Dhaka and eastern and southeastern districts of Bangladesh, including the cities of Chattogram, Narayanganj, and the northeastern city of Sylhet.” Kawawaki said that the Rampura Amulia Demra PPP project was delivered under an availability payment mechanism with partial revenue linked to US dollar and taka exchange rate movements, whereas the first road transaction, the $370 million Dhaka Bypass Road PPP, was structured as a minimum revenue guarantee. ADB appoints Fatima Yasmin as Vice-President for sectors, themes “ADB has therefore helped establish the pathway for both types of payment mechanisms in Bangladesh for future private sector investments in the infrastructure sector,” she said.  The deal—part of a programmatic approach taken by ADB to develop road PPPs as an asset class for investments—is the second successful financial closure of a PPP transaction with ADB as transaction advisor in Bangladesh. ADB is currently advising the government on the Joydebpur Mymensingh Expressway PPP project, which will improve connectivity to 10 special economic zones. The Rampura Amulia Demra Expressway will be designed, constructed, financed, operated, and maintained during a 25 year concession period by a consortium comprising China Communications Construction Company Limited and China Road and Bridge Corporation.  Read more: Purbachal Expressway: Next megaproject unveiling up govt's sleeve?

Two people were killed in separate road accidents in the city’s Rampura and Gulshan areas on Monday. At Rampura, a 31-year-old man was killed when a covered van ran over him in front of Rampura TV Centre around 5am. The deceased was identified as Sadman Sakib, son of Zahurul Haque of Sadar upazila in Bogura district. Also read: NSU student killed in city road crash Sadman met the tragic incident while crossing the road on his way home after finishing his night shift at work. At Gulshan, a 48-year-old businessman was injured when a pick-up van struck the road divider as its driver lost control near the Gulshan-2 circle around 6am. Abdul Latif, hailing from Kishoreganj, succumbed to his injuries around 9 am at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. Also read: Worker dies falling off city flyover The two bodies were kept at the mortuary of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in –charge of the hospital police camp.

A 50-year-old worker died at a Dhaka hospital on Sunday, three days after he sustained burn injuries in a fire that broke out at a scrap warehouse in the capital’s Rampura. The deceased was identified as Md Helal Uddin, of Rajbari district. Helal Uddin, who was undergoing treatment at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery with 85 per cent burn injuries, breathed his last around 1:30pm, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police outpost. Also read: Fulbaria market fire under control He was among five people who sustained burn injuries after the warehouse near Bou Bazar Matir Mosque in Rampura caught fire on Thursday following a cylinder explosion while loading goods in a truck. On information, two fire tenders rushed to the spot and doused the blaze, said Khaleda Yasmin, duty officer at Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters. Besides Helal the other injured were identified as Md Yusuf, 50, Md Siddique, 50, Nur Nabi, 51, and Nader, 45 - all workers of the godown. They are under treatment at the hospital. Also read: N'ganj garment factory fire under control

Five people sustained burn injuries in a fire that broke out at a scrap godown in the Rampura area of the capital in the early hours of Thursday. All the five are being treated at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. The injured were identified as Md Yusuf, 50, Md Helel Uddin, 50, Md Siddique, 50, Nur Nabi, 51, and Nader, 45. All are the workers of the godown. Read: Fire guts 40 auto-rickshaws in Rajshahi Among the injured people, Siddique suffered 54 percent burn injuries, Nur Nabi 42 percent, Helel 85 percent, and Nader 45 percent burn injuries, said hospital sources. The fire broke out at 1.43am at the scrap godown near Bou Bazar Matir Mosque in the Rampura area, said Khaleda Yasmin, duty officer at Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters. On information, two fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was doused around 2.30am, she said. "A gas cylinder explosion may have triggered the fire," she said.

Members of Rapid Action Battalions (Rab) have arrested four more people in connection with the vandalism and torching of buses during protests over the death of student Md Mainuddin in a bus accident in Rampura. The arrestees were identified as Monir Hossain, 54, Md Hridoy Hasan Parvez, 19, Md Alaudding Sifat, 25, and Md Naeem Hasan Mir, 24. ANM Imran Khan, Assistant Director (ASP) of Legal and Media Wing of Rab, said the mastermind Monir and three of his associates were arrested from the capital's Rampura and Cumilla district on Tuesday night in a drives conducted by a team of the intelligence branch of Rab headquarters and Rab-3. During primary interrogation, the arrestees confessed to their involvement with the crime. Read: 3 arrested in city with 40,000 pcs of yaba The arrestees deliberately plotted the sabotage using a possible incident in Rampura centering the Gazipur incident as per the direction of Monir. This gang was prepared for sabotage for the purpose of abusing the ‘half fare’ issue for running students. There are seven cases of sabotage with explosives against Monir. He is an identified terrorist and an agent of anti-state conspirators, said a media release issued by Rab HQ. Legal processes are underway in this regard, the release added. Earlier, police arrested Swapan Reza ,25, and Shahid Bepari ,22, over the incident. On November 29, an angry mob set fire to at least eight buses and vandalised several others in Dhaka's Rampura area after the student was killed on that day.

A 27-year-old youth was stabbed to death allegedly by a mugger on the loose at Rampura Boubazar area in Dhaka early Friday. The deceased was identified as a mason Alamgir Hossain, who was a resident of that area. Witnesses said Alamgir was having tea at the roadside stall in Adarsha ally of the area around 7am when the mugger Limon, 30, stabbed Alamgir on his legs indiscriminately and fled the scene. Also read: Unidentified youth stabbed dead in the city Later, locals rushed Alamgir to Better Life Hospital and then to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) where he succumbed to his injuries in the afternoon. A local Md Shiblu said Alamgir provided some information about Limon to the police a few days ago. He added that Alamgir was a mason by profession as well as cooperating with the police by providing information. Md. Bachchu Mia, police inspector of DMCH police camp said the body has been kept in the DMCH morgue for an autopsy. Also read: Student stabbed dead on college campus in Sylhet

A massive fire broke out in Rampura’s Mohanagar Project on early Monday.

Dhaka, July 9 (UNB) – Rickshaw-pullers blocked roads in different areas of the city on Tuesday morning protesting the decision banning the plying of rickshaws on three major thoroughfares of the capital, including the Kuril-Sayedabad one.