United News of Bangladesh

Four people, including two helpers of bus drivers and a supervisor, were killed and scores  injured in two separate road accidents on Dhaka-Mawa Expressway in Munshiganj, said highway police on Friday. One accident occurred on Thursday night, while the second one early Friday. Two of the deceased were identified as bus driver’s helper Md Jiban Sheikh, 24, son of late Nurul Islam of Kalligaon village under Sreenagar upazila and passenger Rayhan, 36, of Debipura village under Sirajdikhan upazila of the district. The identities of the rest of the casualties could not be known immediately. Abdul Quader Jilani, officer-in-charge of Hasara highway police station, said a Sreenagar-bound speeding bus of Abdullah Paribahan crashed into a parked covered van from behind on the expressway in Nimtala area under Sirajdikhan upazila around 11:30pm. Five of a family perish as speeding bus crashes into their car on Dhaka-Mawa Expressway The accident left 18 people, including Jiban and Rayhan, injured critically, he said. They were rushed to nearby Sreenagar Upazila Health Complex, where physicians declared the two dead upon arrival, said Dr Camelia Sarker, a physician of the hospital. One of the injured was shifted to Dhaka for advance treatment and the rest were released after giving first aid, she said. Separately around 5am, another Dhaka-bound bus rammed into an unidentified stationary vehicle from behind on the expressway in Hasara area, leaving seven injured. Of them, the helper and supervisor of the bus succumbed to their injuries on the way to Sreenagar Upazila Health Complex, OC Jilani said. On December 27, six people were killed and four others injured  in a road accident on the expressway at Dhaleshwari Toll Plaza on the expressway.

The government has cancelled the Shantinagar to Dhaka-Mawa (Jhilmil) Flyover project taken under public-private partnership (PPP) as the ministry concerned took it off from the PP list. The cabinet committee on economic affairs at a meeting on Wednesday approved a proposal of the Rajdhani Unnayak Kartipakkha (Rajuk) to cancel the project. The Ministry of Housing and Public Works placed the cancellation proposal on behalf of Rujik. Read:DMP commissioner for setting up traffic police boxes beneath flyovers About the cancellation, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, who presided over the cabinet body meeting, said the perspective of the previous decision to implement the project through PPP does not exist anymore. He noted that the relevant ministry has withdrawn the project from the PPP list and they can now say how and when they would implement the project. Earlier, the cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) in principle approved the project on January 9, 2013 to implement under the PPP method while on June 6, 2018, the finance ministry approved the proposal for allocating Tk 534.72 crore as viability gas funding (VGF).” Later, six firms submitted the Request for Quotation (RFQ) for implementing the project. The cabinet body, however, approved in principle another proposal of the Road Transport and Highway Division to appoint Consortium of (1) China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCCL) and (2) China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) as investor for implementing the Rampura-Amulia-Demra Highway project to upgrade it to a four-lane one under PPP. Meanwhile, the cabinet committee on public purchase approved five procurement proposals. As per one proposal, the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) under the Industries Ministry will import a total of 90,000 metric tons (MT) of fertilizer from two companies through separate proposals. Of these, 30,000 MT of bulk granular urea fertilizer will be imported from Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) at Tk 206.31 crore at $778.67 each ton while another 30,000 MT of prilled urea will be bought from the same company at a cost of Tk 200.31 crore , at $802 each metric ton. Another 30,000 MT of bagged granular urea will be procured from Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (Kafco) at a cost of Tk 198.72 crore, at $767.50 each metric. Read: Flyovers, underpasses construction to remain suspended for 14 days: Quader The committee approved a proposal of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to procure spares and consumables parts for schedule maintenance of Gas Turbine and Gas Turbine Generator of the 4th unit of Ghorashal re-powered power plant from General Electric Global Parts and Products GmbH, Switzerland at Tk 301.98 crore. A proposal of the Khulna Wasa received the approval of the committee to appoint the Joint Venture of (1) Dohwa Engineering Co. Ltd. Korea; (2) Dev Consultants Ltd (BAN); (3) Institute of Water Modeling (BAN); and (4) BETS Consulting Services Ltd. as consultant for Khulna Sewage Management System project at a cost of Tk 71.38 crore. The committee approved a proposal of the Ministry of the Shipping extending the cost of the project titled: “Establishment of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System & Integrated Maritime Navigation System (EGIMNS)” by 104.9 crore.