'Concord Group was involved in civil work for the third terminal'

Concord is the country's oldest company. We are the construction pioneers of the country. From the very beginning, our business has been to serve people in the best possible way. So far, we are doing well. 

Following the nation's independence, Concord Group undertook significant renovation projects, including the refurbishment of the Banga Bhaban, the 20-story Shilpa Bank building in Motijheel, the 22-story Jibhan Bima building, the 24-story head office of Janata Bank, the Titas Gas head office, the T&T building, and the VIP terminal at Dhaka airport. Additionally, we had the honour of constructing the first commercial building in Gulshan.

We have also been leading the way in building tall, aesthetic, green buildings as well as affordable housing. Concord is the pioneer of affordable housing in the country. Our Lake City Concord is the country's first affordable housing project.

Concord Group is the biggest name in the field of comprehensive construction, as we are not limited to just construction work or real estate. We have also been involved in construction projects outside the country. We worked on multi-storey commercial buildings even in Singapore. Additionally, we have also achieved prominence in the production of eco-friendly building materials and establishment of theme parks. 

Altogether, Concord Group is associated with more than 1,200 projects in the country. We are also a big name in the country's amusement park including Fantasy Kingdom, Dhaka and Foy's lake, Chittagong.

We have played a leading role in creating eco-friendly and cost-effective construction materials for buildings. Concord was the first to use blocks instead of bricks in building construction. These hollow blocks are made of sand, cement and gravel.

To mention these things about the Concord Group is to explain why the ADC chose us for a world-class project like the third terminal. Currently, we are involved in a major part of the civil work in the third terminal of the Dhaka airport — the most beautiful project in the country.

The existing airport was constructed by us 40 years ago. Still, there are no questions about its quality. The new project was undertaken through an international consortium. We worked as a subcontractor with three major multinational companies, including Samsung and Mitsubishi.

The total building area was 3.8 million square feet. We started working on the aerial construction in 1.03 million square feet, on 6 September 2020. In just 18 months, we successfully completed all the work, which is equivalent to constructing 20 buildings of 15 stories each.

This project was highly technically challenging as it involved constructing buildings with a minimum height of 21 feet and a maximum height of nearly 45 feet. Completing the construction work for 20 such buildings of 15 stories each within 18 months was a formidable task.

To undertake this work, we had to embrace new technologies beyond our normal work. We incorporated mobile cranes, hydro cranes, and procured significant materials to increase our capacity.

We also faced challenges while working during the pandemic. We implemented regular Covid-19 checks for our 1,500-2,000 workers at a small site and kept them free from the virus.

Through this project, we have made a significant contribution to the economy. Alongside, it has allowed us to increase our capacity and develop an experienced workforce. In the future, we can take on even larger projects. We express our gratitude to the government for supporting Concord Group in becoming project self-reliant.

The interview was taken by The Business Standard's Chief Reporter Abbas Uddin Noyon.