Indian contractors’ exit stops Akhaura road, rail expansion projects in their tracks

There are only nine months left until the project deadline, but only half of the work on the Ashuganj-Akhaura highway has been completed

The expansion of the Ashuganj-Akhaura national highway and the Akhaura-Agartala railway projects has plunged into uncertainty after Indian contractors and engineers pulled out following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina regime.

With only nine months left on the project timeline, just half of the Ashuganj-Akhaura highway has been completed. 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 railway line has been inaugurated and the tracks are in place, 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.

“RETURN ON HIGH COMMISSION GREEN LIGHT”

Bangladesh and India undertook these two projects to boost trade and connectivity between the neighbouring countries. Approximately 300 officials and employees from the Indian contractor companies were involved in the projects.

The project to upgrade the existing road from Ashuganj River Port to Akhaura Land Port into a four-lane national highway was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, or ECNEC, in 2017. However, delays occurred due to land acquisition, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the global economic downturn.

The construction of this 51-kilometre-long highway is estimated to cost Tk 57.91 billion, funded by loans from India and the government of Bangladesh.

The work is divided into three packages. The first package covers the road from Ashuganj to Sarail, the second from Sarail to Tantar Bazar in Akhaura, and the third from Tantar Bazar to Akhaura Land Port. All the contracts were awarded to the Indian contracting company, Afcons Infrastructure Limited.

However, the contractor has not yet started the work on the third package. The project deadline, already extended three times, is currently set for June 2025. So far, only 50 percent of the project has been completed, according to project officials.

Ashuganj-Akhaura Highway Project Manager Md Shamim Ahmed said, “Last month, following the student and public uprising, about 300 employees and officials of the contractor company left for India due to security concerns. As a result, several bridges and culverts along the highway remain incomplete. Construction materials and expensive machinery have been left unsecured.”

He added, “The Indian high commission has not yet given the contractor permission to return to Bangladesh to continue the work, citing security concerns.

“Informally, we have learnt that the contractor will return and resume work once they receive a green light from the high commission, but no specific date has been confirmed.”

In response to a question, the project manager said: “Since the work was progressing according to plan, and now it’s uncertain how long it will remain halted, the project duration may be extended. This could also lead to increased costs. We cannot confirm anything at this time, including when the project work will resume.”

WHEN WILL THE SUFFERING END?

In different sections of the under-construction highway from Ashuganj to Dharkhar, large potholes were seen obstructing traffic flow. Long traffic jams are now a daily occurrence at the Bishwa Road intersection.

The overpass from Fulbaria to Puniout in the city has completed its pillar construction. However, due to the potholes on the highway below, heavy vehicles are using the inner city roads, causing further disruption to daily life.

Abdur Rahman from Fulbaria village said, “Work began in 2017, but they took a long time to even start the construction for various reasons. Now it’s 2024, and work has halted again. We hoped the project would be completed by June, but no one can say when our suffering will end.”

He called for intervention from the interim government in this matter.

Seventy-six kilometres of the Dhaka-Sylhet and Cumilla-Sylhet highways pass through Brahmanbaria. Both highways are undergoing expansion to four lanes. However, with the suspension of work on the section from Ashuganj to Tantar Bazar, the situation has worsened; potholes are forcing vehicles to navigate with extreme caution. Daily traffic jams last for hours, wasting time and causing great inconvenience for both drivers and passengers.

Awal Mia, a driver of a Sylhet-bound bus from Cumilla, said at the Kautali intersection: “It took me an hour and a half to travel from Tantar Bazar to Kautali. The road is deteriorating due to the potholes and the stalled construction.”

Bilkis Akhter, a passenger sitting beside the driver, expressed her frustration and urged the government to complete the roadwork as soon as possible.

The situation is the same from Ashuganj to Bishwa Road, where all Sylhet-bound buses face long delays due to potholes.

TRAIN SERVICE STILL SUSPENDED DESPITE INAUGURATION

Despite the inauguration, the Akhaura-Agartala railway project has not yet become operational. The incomplete work has left this project, which cost around Tk 2.41 billion, in limbo.

This 12.24-kilometre rail link from Gangasagar Railway Station in Brahmanbaria's Akhaura Upazila to Nischintapur Railway Station in India’s Agartala connects the country's northeastern region to Bangladesh via rail.

According to the Upazila administration, the project manager and seven engineers from the Indian contractor company, Texmaco Rail and Engineering Limited, left the country on Aug 5. As a result, the remaining work on the project has been suspended.

Although the railway line was ready, and several trial runs were conducted, on Nov 1 last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his former Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated the line. However, the customs and immigration buildings, platforms, and connecting roads were not completed. Even after 10 months, the work remains unfinished.

Local authorities have no information on when those involved in the project will return to complete the work.

Akhaura Upazila Executive Officer, or UNO, Gazala Parvin Ruhi said: “At present, the engineers and technical personnel associated with the project are not in the area. They have been absent since the 5th of August.”

She added that the ministry would be contacted to speak with the contractor company.

"This is actually a matter for the higher authorities. I don’t have any information to share with you at this time," she added.

Construction of the Akhaura-Agartala railway began in July 2018. Out of the 12.24 kilometres of railway, 6.78 kilometres lie within Bangladesh.