The Bangladesh Railway (BR) will now build some structures in Kamalapur rail station area under the public-private partnership (PPP) under a billion-dollar multi-modal transport hub (MmTH) project.
The development comes as the Japanese private partner is unwilling to develop non-revenue-earning area.
Sources say the Japanese firm, which is on the project since 2018, has already expressed unwillingness to the BR, although it conceptually developed the design of the entire station area as an MmTH.
The conceptual design includes main station building, maintenance and relocation-related activity.
Official sources say these issues will come under discussion during the Bangladesh-Japan fifth joint platform meeting slated for May.
"Actually, the next joint platform meeting will bring these issues to find scope for investment…," cites an official involved in the big-budget PPP project.
Japanese land infrastructure and tourism ministry recommended Kajima Corporation as the potential investor for the MmTH project during the second platform meeting in 2018.
Kajima placed the design on the MmTH in 2019 which, however, made reservations in giving entrance to the station area by other transport-related options like metro rail and elevated expressway.
The MmTH was conceptualised to accommodate different modes of transport with various commercial and business options under one roof.
According to official sources, Kajima is now working on its master plan. Discussion on the conceptual design and plan is expected to give a final shape.
The PPPA is seeking to appoint a transaction adviser to the project to help the government get clearer concept on the hub and find scope in the investment scenario.
Being the MmTH still in the conceptual design stage, its public-private investment scenario is yet to be assessed, says an official.
He hints that the government's part of investment, if new structures are needed, will not be meagre.
smunima@yahoo.com