117th Board Meeting of Bridge Authority: Multiple Important Decisions Including 55 MW Solar Power Project

The board meeting was held at the conference room of Setu Bhaban at 1:30 PM on Thursday (July 30) and was chaired by Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Chairman of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority board, Sheikh Rabiul Alam. Board members participated in the meeting both in person and online.

In the meeting, the Secretary of the Bridges Division and Executive Director of Bangladesh Bridge Authority, Mohammad Abdur Rouf, presented the progress of implementation of previous meeting's decisions and the new proposals through a PowerPoint presentation. After discussions, six important decisions were approved.

According to the decision, as part of eco-friendly energy production, 120 acres of land will be leased to Northwest Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL) in the Jamuna Bridge area. A solar power plant with a capacity of 55 MW will be constructed there.

In addition, a decision was taken to amend the existing policy of allocating flats in the rehabilitation village to make the rehabilitation of families affected by the Dhaka Elevated Expressway project more effective.

To increase the use of green energy, a proposal to prepare an integrated master plan for installing solar power systems at facilities under the Bangladesh Bridge Authority has also been approved.

The board meeting decided to reinstate the contract for operating the BIAM Laboratory School in Diabari, Uttara. Additionally, approval was given to establish the Center for Bridge Research and Training (CBRT) with the aim of large bridge and infrastructure construction, maintenance, research, and skilled human resource development.

Furthermore, under the Bangladesh Bridge Authority Officers and Employees Welfare Trust Rules, 2010, the proposal to replace the phrase 'annual scholarship provision' with 'annual education grant assistance' was also approved.

In his speech, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam said that the current government is committed to building sustainable, environment-friendly, and modern communication infrastructure. He gave necessary instructions to the concerned officials and authorities for the speedy, transparent, and effective implementation of the board's decisions.