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Published : 22 Jul 2026, 04:38 PM
The cost of the China-funded Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway has jumped 54 percent in one go, even though construction is already 80 percent complete.
The revised project proposal won approval at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday.
Asked after the meeting why the project cost had increased so sharply, State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki attributed the rise to two main factors.
He said one major reason was the sharp increase in the exchange rate of the US dollar, which had also affected VAT and tax calculations.
Saki said the second reason was the inclusion of new project components.
According to him, the revised proposal includes five new components and the cost of relocating utility lines that had not been included in the original Development Project Proposal (DPP).
He said the remaining increase reflected adjustments linked to the dollar exchange rate and the resulting VAT and tax calculations.
Launched in 2017, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority project was initially priced at Tk 169.01 billion, with China set to finance Tk 109.49 billion.
Though originally due for completion by June 2022, the project proposal was first revised that same month.
That revision raised the project's cost by Tk 6.52 billion to Tk 175.53 billion, while Chinese financing was reduced to Tk 96.92 billion.
At Wednesday’s meeting, the project's cost was raised by a further Tk 94.93 billion to Tk 270.46 billion.
Under the revision, the government's own funding rose by around 76 percent to Tk 138.03 billion, while Chinese financing increased by 37 percent to Tk 132.42 billion.
The state minister for planning said 80 percent of the work under the revised project had already been completed.
The meeting, presided over by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairman Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat, also approved eight other projects.
These are:
• A first revision of the Universal Social Infrastructure Development-2 (GSIDP-2) project under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, raising its cost by Tk 3.68 billion to Tk 14.50 billion.
• A new Tk 14.92 billion integrated development project for the greater Dinajpur region covering Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh.
• A Tk 20.82 billion rural road maintenance and employment project under the same ministry.
• A third revision of the Disaster Shelter Construction, Renovation and Development Project under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, increasing its cost by Tk 10.23 billion.
• A third revision of the Power Distribution System Development Project for Sylhet Division, reducing its cost by Tk 1.17 billion to Tk 17.23 billion.
• A Tk 7.29 billion project to drill the Begumganj-5 appraisal and development well and two exploration wells, Begumganj-6 and Sunetra-2.
• A second revision of a project to expand existing kidney dialysis centres at medical college hospitals to 50 beds and establish 10-bed dialysis centres at district hospitals, raising its cost by Tk 810 million to Tk 3.75 billion.
At the meeting, the planning minister also briefed ECNEC on 11 previously approved projects each costing less than Tk 500 million.
These are:
• Setting up three regional offices of the National University (second revision) project.
• Setting up Barishal Textile Vocational Institute in Barishal’s Gournadi (second revision) project.
• Setting up a mobile network at Shahjalal International Airport's third terminal.
• Upgrading the Sirajganj town section of the Nalka-Sirajganj-Sayedabad regional highway (from Shaheed M Mansur Ali Medical College to Kata WAPDA intersection) to four lanes, with the remaining section upgraded to two lanes (second revision) project.
• Upgrading the Pirojpur-Nazirpur-Mativangga-Patgati-Ghonapara (Z-7704) district highway, including the Ghonapara to Patgati bridge approach section, along with the Z-8504, Z-8507 and Z-8429 district highways, to proper standard and width (first revision) project.
• Constructing the Bhuapur link road (Z-4802) (second revision) project.
• Developing transmission infrastructure for evacuating electricity generated by the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (first revision).
• Expanding and strengthening the eastern grid network (second revision) project.
• Setting up six Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Center (BITAC) facilities in Gopalganj, Sunamganj, Barishal, Rangpur, Jamalpur and Jashore districts (second revision) project.
