Tata Projects, in a joint venture with Japan’s Nishimatsu Construction and Toda Corporation, has secured a contract to build a 5.2-km underground section of the Dhaka Metro in Bangladesh, adding three stations and associated civil and systems works to the expanding urban rail network.
The company said on Thursday that the Nishimatsu-Tata Projects-Toda joint venture had won Contract Package CP06 from Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited, the public agency implementing the project. The package covers the underground main line, architectural finishes, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.
The planned section will include three underground stations: Khilkhet, Airport Terminal-3 and Airport. The contract also includes a shaft at the northern end of the section. The announcement did not specify the contract value, construction schedule or expected completion date.
The Dhaka Metro project is being implemented with funding support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. According to Tata Projects, the section is part of Bangladesh’s effort to modernise urban transport, improve connectivity and address congestion in Dhaka, a rapidly growing capital where road-based travel faces increasing pressure.
The project places Indian engineering and construction capacity within a delivery structure involving a Bangladeshi public-sector agency, Japanese contractors and Japanese development financing. For the urban rail system, the underground package will also require coordination between civil construction, station architecture and building services before the facilities can support passenger operations.
Tata Projects described the contract as an extension of its work in complex urban and industrial infrastructure. Rajiv Menon, the company’s president and chief growth and strategy officer, said the project would increase Tata Projects’ visibility as a partner for governments, developers and international engineering, procurement and construction companies seeking execution and local delivery capabilities.
The company said the award reinforced its position as an integrated engineering and execution partner for metro systems. It also linked the Dhaka contract to rising investment in metro and rail networks across Asia, the Middle East and other emerging markets.
The immediate significance for Dhaka is the addition of an underground corridor serving the Khilkhet and airport areas, including Airport Terminal-3. The package’s implementation will now depend on the joint venture’s construction programme and coordination with Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited and the project’s funding and institutional arrangements.
