Bangladesh: Construction of Dual Gauge Railway Line from Bogura to Sirajganj Project

OBJECTIVE

To enhance the connectivity, resiliency, and travel efficiency of railway transport between Bogura and Sirajganj.

DESCRIPTION

Bangladesh Railway (BR) is facing connectivity constraints in the north and north-western regions as the rail connection between this region and the capital city, Dhaka, or the eastern parts is highly indirect and inefficient. This indirect alignment results in longer travel distances, extended journey times, higher operating costs, and reduced competitiveness of rail transport for both passenger and freight services. To address this weak and indirect rail connectivity, the GoB plans to construct a new dual-gauge railway line of approximately 86 km directly connecting Bogura with Sirajganj. The line will be constructed together with 11 stations, associated structures/bridges, and modern signaling and telecommunications (S&T) systems, so that it is well integrated with the national rail network. By bypassing the existing circuitous alignment, the new line will substantially shorten the rail distance and journey time between the northern districts and Dhaka/ eastern region.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

Applicable Policy and Categorization. AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), including the Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs) and Environmental and Social Exclusion List (ESEL), applies to the Project. The Project is classified as Category A due to potentially significant environmental and social (ES) risks and impacts. ESS 1 (Environmental and Social Assessment) applies for environmental and social assessment, and ESS 2 (Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement) applies due to land acquisition and involuntary resettlement. ESS 3 (Indigenous People) is not expected to apply, subject to further ES due diligence (ESDD).

Environmental and Social Instruments. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) were prepared during the feasibility stage. AIIB’s review identified gaps requiring validation of baseline data, update of the 2022 census and socio-economic survey, and strengthening of ES instruments. With support from AIIB Project Preparation Special Fund (PPSF) grant, an ESDD will be conducted through which the existing EIA, SIA and RAP will be reviewed and gaps against and AIIB ESP outlined with respective corrective actions. Based on the findings of the ESDD, the instruments will be updated by the Client to align with AIIB’s ESP, and an Income and Livelihood Restoration Program (ILRP), a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) and a Gender and Social Inclusion Plan (GSIP) will also be prepared.

Environmental Aspects. The Project alignment is largely greenfield and passes mainly through agricultural land. Potential impacts are typical of major railway works and include dust and emissions, noise and vibration, construction waste, drainage disruption, surface water impacts, vegetation clearance, and occupational and community health and safety risks. Given the alignment largely avoids environmentally sensitive areas, and no protected areas are located within or adjacent to the corridor, the impacts on natural terrain and ecology are minimized. The ESDD will assess and outline gaps between the existing instruments and AIIB’s ESP. Given the age of the baseline data, a key outcome of the ESDD is expected to verify the eligibility of the data and recommended further baseline sampling, as required. In addition, further ecological assessment as well as air and noise modelling works are key gaps that are expected to be identified and then ultimately updated in the final ES instruments. The ESDD will address these gaps and confirm that the proposed mitigation measures remain appropriate and consistent with AIIB ESP.

Social and Gender Aspects. The Project will require significant land acquisition and resettlement for the railway alignment and associated facilities. Approximately 900 acres of land are expected to be acquired, affecting around 2,000 households, including 1,488 households requiring physical relocation. The existing SIA and RAP will be updated through the ESDD to ensure consistency with AIIB's ESP. The review will identify the need to update the 2022 census and socioeconomic surveys and improve the presentation of data, including disaggregation between residential and commercial users, titled and non-titled households, and owners and tenants. During project preparation, AIIB will also assess livelihood restoration measures, impacts on vulnerable groups, gender, and social inclusion. In addition, gender considerations will be further assessed before appraisal as part of the ESDD. The assessment will identify opportunities to enhance women's access to project benefits and participation in the project, as appropriate, and inform the development of project-specific gender measures. A GSIP is expected to be developed to define project-specific actions and corresponding monitoring indicators.

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), Labor and Employment Conditions. Substantial civil works and a large construction workforce are expected, creating OHS, community safety and labor management risks. Worker accommodation, emergency preparedness, labor conditions and worker grievance mechanisms will be assessed through ESDD.

Stakeholder Engagement, Consultation and Information Disclosure. Stakeholder consultations were undertaken during preparation of the EIA, SIA and RAP. A stakeholder engagement plan (SEP) will be prepared during ESDD to ensure continued meaningful engagement with affected people and stakeholders. Updated ES instruments will be timely disclosed in line with AIIB requirements.

Project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and Monitoring Arrangement. BR has an existing grievance handling mechanism. A project-level GRM will be established and strengthened to meet AIIB ESP requirements. Information on the GRM will be included in updated ES documents and disclosed to affected people. A worker GRM will also be established. The PIU will be fully responsible for monitoring of project implementation and is expected to prepare ES progress monitoring reports semi-annually based on agreed formats highlighting progress on the implementation of ES plans. During implementation of the project, the Bank will conduct regular field supervision missions to monitor and verify progress. The frequency of the missions will depend on preparation/implementation progress and complexity.