Work on Indian funded road, rail projects halted

After Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5, the work on ongoing Indian funded projects has come to a standstill. The expansion work of the Ashuganj-Akhaura national highway and the Akhaura-Agartala railway project has been stopped. It has been alleged that Indian contractors and engineers pulled out following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina regime.

So far, only 50 percent of the Ashuganj-Akhaura highway project has been completed with only nine months left on the project timeline, according to project officials. The unfinished construction has turned the route into a nightmare for drivers and passengers, who endure daily hardships navigating the disrupted road.

While the Akhaura-Agartala rail line, a new rail route between Bangladesh and India, was inaugurated on 1 November, it remains non-operational. Customs facilities, platforms, and connecting roads are still incomplete, keeping the project at a frustrating standstill.

Project officials find themselves in the dark, unable to say when work will resume. The looming threat of delays continues to raise concerns that costs may spiral as time drags on.

It is to be noted that India pledged a total of $736 billion in loans to Bangladesh in 2010, 2016 and 2017 across three LoCs. But despite the promise, the money was not released at the desired rate. As of last, only 1.8 billion dollars have been discounted in total.

So far 36 projects have been taken up in the infrastructure sector including road and rail communication, energy, construction of roads in the three LoCs. Of these, 15 have been completed. Eight projects are ongoing. The rest of the projects are at the stage of hiring consultants and contractors or preparing project proposals.