Malaysia to provide 200 metre-gauge railway coaches
Dhaka, May 29 (UNB) – Communications Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said Malaysia will provide 200 metre-gauge railway coaches as part of its support to improve the railway service in Bangladesh.
The minister said this after a meeting with the visiting Malaysian team, led by the Malaysian Prime Minister’s special envoy for South Asia Dato S Samy Vellu, at Rail Bhaban at noon.
Obaidul Quader said a Malaysian expert team will visit Bangladesh next month in this regard. “It’ll be followed by another visit by a Bangladeshi expert team to Malaysia,” he said.
The minister said a government-to-government agreement on procurement of the railway coaches will be signed between the two countries after fruitful discussion in this connection.
About the Padma Bridge project, Obaidul Quader said this visiting Malaysian team will be back here again early next month to discuss the progress on the proposal they submitted to the government for financing the much-talked-about US$2.9 billion Padma Bridge project.
The 26-member delegation submitted the proposal on Monday.
After submission of the proposal, Obaidul Quader told reporters that there will be a month-long discussion as the proposal will be considered keeping the national interests in mind.
In October last year, the World Bank suspended its funding for the Padma Bridge project on charges of corruption, forcing the government to look for alternative sources for financing the mega project.
The other financiers of the project -- ADB, Jica and IDB -- also suspended the release of their promised funds for the country’s longest bridge.
The government signed loan agreements with the WB for $1.2 billion, ADB for $615 million, Jica $400 million and IDB for $140 million to construct the 6.15-kilometre bridge. But the project stalled in October last year following the WB's allegation of corruption in the bidding process.
Later, Kuala Lumpur proposed Dhaka to fund the project. On April 10, a MoU was singed between Bangladesh and Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on cooperation for the construction of the Padma Bridge.
The minister said this after a meeting with the visiting Malaysian team, led by the Malaysian Prime Minister’s special envoy for South Asia Dato S Samy Vellu, at Rail Bhaban at noon.
Obaidul Quader said a Malaysian expert team will visit Bangladesh next month in this regard. “It’ll be followed by another visit by a Bangladeshi expert team to Malaysia,” he said.
The minister said a government-to-government agreement on procurement of the railway coaches will be signed between the two countries after fruitful discussion in this connection.
About the Padma Bridge project, Obaidul Quader said this visiting Malaysian team will be back here again early next month to discuss the progress on the proposal they submitted to the government for financing the much-talked-about US$2.9 billion Padma Bridge project.
The 26-member delegation submitted the proposal on Monday.
After submission of the proposal, Obaidul Quader told reporters that there will be a month-long discussion as the proposal will be considered keeping the national interests in mind.
In October last year, the World Bank suspended its funding for the Padma Bridge project on charges of corruption, forcing the government to look for alternative sources for financing the mega project.
The other financiers of the project -- ADB, Jica and IDB -- also suspended the release of their promised funds for the country’s longest bridge.
The government signed loan agreements with the WB for $1.2 billion, ADB for $615 million, Jica $400 million and IDB for $140 million to construct the 6.15-kilometre bridge. But the project stalled in October last year following the WB's allegation of corruption in the bidding process.
Later, Kuala Lumpur proposed Dhaka to fund the project. On April 10, a MoU was singed between Bangladesh and Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on cooperation for the construction of the Padma Bridge.
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