India's L&T wins up to $1b Dhaka Metro Line 1 contracts

Indian engineering, procurement, construction and high-tech manufacturing conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has won contracts worth up to $1 billion to design and build two key Dhaka Metro Rail Line 1 system packages.

A stock exchange disclosure said the infrastructure major's contracts cover track works, electrical systems, signalling, telecommunications and platform screen doors. 

Classified as a 'major' ₹5,000–10,000 crore order under its reporting framework, the awards follow L&T's integrated railway systems delivery for Line 6, Bangladesh's first metro corridor.

The announcement follows Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase approval of eight Line 1 and Line 5 (Northern Route) construction packages worth about Tk 58,500 crore. Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), both lines also involve Japanese, Chinese and Bangladeshi contractors.

Bangladesh's first underground metro, the about 31km Line 1 features 19 stations and a Pitalganj depot, linking Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kamalapur underground via Rampura, Malibagh and Rajarbagh, with an elevated Natun Bazar–Purbachal Terminal section. The 20km Line 5 links Savar's Hemayetpur to Vatara via Gabtoli, Mirpur-14 and Natun Bazar.

Source: The Daily Star