Elevated Expressway
Court order on bidder's offer likely today
The chamber judge of the appellate division is expected to pass an order today on whether authorities concerned have to open the technically non-responsive bidder's financial offer for the proposed elevated expressway.
Attorney general's office filed a petition on Monday seeking stay of a High Court (HC) order, asking for opening of the said offer, to expedite construction process of the expressway.
Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, counsel for Sikder-KCC JV that was rated technically non-responsive in the final bidding for the project, said they opposed the government petition for the stay.
The court of the chamber judge is expected to pass an order today in this regard, he said.
Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, secretary to Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), implementing agency of the 26-kilometre Dhaka Elevated Expressway (DEE) project, told The Daily Star that they sought a remedy from the appellate division so they do not have to comply with the HC direction.
Sikder-KCC, rated as technically non-responsive and rejected from financial evaluation, filed a petition with the HC that directed BBA to open Sikder's financial proposal, said Bhuiyan.
The BBA secretary said they would prefer Box Type girder, which is comparatively more expensive but beautiful to look at, to construct DEE.
Ital-Thai Development Company that won the bidding according to BBA has proposed Tk 8703 crore for construction of Box Type and Tk 7700 crore for I Type.
The parliamentary standing committee on the communications ministry at a meeting on December 23 called for the relevant bidding documents of both Sikder and Ital-Thai to examine them.
Bhuiyan said they could not place the tendering documents to the parliamentary committee until the matter is settled at the court.
Prof Shamsul Hoque, a member of the tender evaluation committee, said the concessionaire (contractor) has to complete the project in three and a half years as of the date of issuing work order.
The BBA intends to sign the concession agreement in the first week of January and then issue the work order.
The proposed route of the expressway runs from Shahjalal International Airport through Kuril, Banani, Tejgaon, Moghbazar, and Kamlapur Stadium along the existing rail track.
Then, it passes through Gulbagh, by the Syedabad Water Treat Plant, across Demra road to reach Kutubkhali through Dania.
The project will require acquisition of a good deal of private land after Kamlapur.
The expressway will remain open (suspended) at both the ends to facilitate future extension. Ramps will be used to get on it.
It is planned to extend by 25km towards Gazipur from the airport point and 5km towards Narayangonj from Kutubkhali, said Prof Hoque.
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