DHAKA, Nov 26, 2024 (BSS) - The Bangladesh government has signed two loan agreements with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for construction of Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction Project (III) and Chattogram Sewerage System Development Project (engineering service).

Under the agreements, JICA will provide a total of 39,902 million yen (equivalent to 3,147 crore Taka) for the Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction (III) and Chattogram Sewerage System Development Project (Engineering Service).

The signing ceremony took place at NEC-2 Conference Room, Economic Relations Division, in the city's Agargaon yesterday.

Ichiguchi Tomohide, chief representative of JICA Bangladesh office, and Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary of economic relations division, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

Iwama Kiminori, ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, also attended the ceremony.

Of the loan, 38,206 million yen is allocated for the Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction Project (III) and 1,696 million yen for the Chattogram Sewerage System Development Project (Engineering Service).

The loan agreement signed for Jamuna Railway Bridge (III) is for the third tranche of the loan. The picturesque 4.8 km dedicated railway bridge runs over the Jamuna River parallel to the existing Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge.

The Bridge is expected to start its operation in early 2025 which will boost rail connectivity between the eastern and western zones of the country.

The Chattogram Sewerage System Development Project will focus on Catchment 2 and Catchment 4 (Kalurghat and East Bakalia) out of a total of six catchments. It's the first phase of the project which will support the detailed design of the entire sewerage system.

The development of the sewerage system will contribute to several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting public health, environmental sustainability, and economic growth in Chattogram.