China's Gezhouba to build Bangladesh's first bus-based rapid transit corridor connect

The Bangladeshi government has relied on a Chinese engineering giant to build the country's first bus-based rapid transit corridor connecting premier airport in capital Dhaka.

Officials say once implemented, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will be the country's first air conditioned and environment friendly modern bus based transpiration system which will carry 25,000 passengers per hour in both directions.

They said China Gezhouba Group Corporation was qualified for the construction of 16-kilometres of BRT lane, six flyovers, 19 BRT stations, high capacity drain, 32 kilometers of footpath for introducing service from Gazipur on the outskirts of capital Dhaka to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka by 2018.

AQM Ekram Ullah, director of the project, said construction of the BRT system from Gazipur to Airport will be implemented under four packages.

He said, "Bids of packages 2 and 3 under evaluation while construction of a bus depot is on going under package-4."

According to the project director, the Chinese company has been qualified being the lowest bidder among 10 companies from China, Bangladesh and India.

The Bangladeshi government Thursday signed an 8,553.75 million taka (about 106.92 million U.S. dollars) deal with a leading Chinese company for a road project named "Greater Dhaka Urban Sustainable Transport".

Ebne Alam Hasan, chief engineer of Bangladesh's Roads and Highways Department and Zhang Tiebing, Director General of China Gezhouba group No. 6 Engineering Co. Ltd Southeast Asia Branch authorized representative of Gezhouba in Bangladesh, inked the deal on behalf of their respective sides at in capital Dhaka.

Bangladeshi Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary MAN Siddique, Yan Rusheng, general manager of China Gezhouba Group No. 6 Engineering Co. Ltd, among others, were present at the deal signing ceremony.

The project director said that the agreement paved the way for starting soon the construction work.

The Bangladeshi government has been implementing the project in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, France Development Agency to expand existing 20km road from Gazipur to Hazrat Shahjalal Airport to eight to 12-lane roads for the first mass transit line. Endit