'Bring foreign consultants to speed up project implementation'

The taskforce on fast-track projects on Thursday directed all agencies concerned to take necessary measures for bringing back foreign consultants and experts to speed up the implementation of projects amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

A virtual meeting, chaired by Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Ahmad Kaikaus, also asked the agencies to contact the mission offices concerned for convincing them to join their project work.

The meeting was attended by secretaries and project directors of almost all the fast-track listed projects.

Project officials said they were facing challenge in bringing back the consultants particularly Japanese consultants working under the metro rail and Matarbari projects due to the coronavirus situation in the country, according to meeting sources.

They also said the authorities of some projects including Padma Multipurpose Bridge had already taken measures to contact the mission offices.

But the authority of projects mainly Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-6 was still facing challenge to convince the Japanese experts to join work due to open space of 20-kilometre corridor.