M’sia secures RM10bil Bangladesh jobs

By Chong En Han, The Star

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has secured infrastructure projects worth about RM10bil in Bangladesh, to be implemented beginning early next year.

Spanning a period of two to five years, the projects include housing, satellite townships, a flyover and water as well as sewerage treatment plants. The first project, commencing early next year, involves the construction of 161 blocs of 16-storey apartments worth almost RM3bil in Uttara, Dhaka.

“Both governments sealed the memorandum after more than six months of negotiations,” Malaysia’s special envoy, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.

Another project that would take off next year would be the 10.8km four-lane Poltan-Mawa Road flyover project worth RM1bil.Other projects include the construction of affordable housing for squatters and a new satellite township on a 400 ha piece of land at Kamrangichar and another similar development in Mohammadpur.

Malaysia and Bangladesh inked a memorandum of understanding in Dhaka on Tuesday, with the document to be handed over to the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today.

The signatories from the Bangladesh government were State Minister for Housing and Public Works, Abdul Mannan Khan, and the State Minister for Local Government, Rural Government and Cooperatives, Jahangir Kabir Nanok.

“Malaysia will also construct the Dhalla-Jamirta well field to supply clean water to Dhaka,” Samy Vellu said, adding that several Malaysian companies had shown interest to participate in the RM10bil project.

The local Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) will monitor and act as the executing agency for the projects, which will be jointly undertaken with the respective departments in Bangladesh.

Samy Vellu said the next step would be to finalise the costing and other aspects of the projects and then seal agreements between CIDB and the respective departments in Bangladesh.