Delegates from public and private sectors of Bangladesh and South Korea sit in Seoul today (Wednesday) to explore investment opportunities in the public-private partnership (PPP) projects under government-to-government (G2G) arrangements.
Under the Bangladesh-Korea joint platform to be announced during the first meeting, the delegates will hold one-to-one meetings on the projects proposed by different agencies.
The PPP Authority and Korea Overseas Infrastructure and Urban Development Corporation (KIND) are hosting the first joint platform meeting.
Official sources said the Korean side has already chosen 10 projects to be discussed in the meeting while the Bangladesh side will place 14 more projects in the meeting for discussion.
Different Korean companies already showed interest to invest in the projects selected by the Korean side for discussion at the meeting, said an official.
After signing of a memorandum of understanding between the PPPA and the Korean government in April, he said, different government agencies especially Roads and Highways Department and Bangladesh Railway (BR) prepared the list of 14 projects to discuss them in the joint platform meeting.
The PPPA has already made similar G2G PPP arrangement with Japan under which six projects are being prepared for investment through Bangladesh-Japan platform meeting.
According to the PPPA, the Korean side selected Bhanga-Payra Port railway project of BR, light rapid transit project of Narayanganj City Corporation, East-West Elevated Expressway project of Bangladesh Bridge Authority and Khan Jahan Ali airport project of Civil Aviation Authority and Chattogram Bay Terminal development project of Chattogram Port Authority.
Besides, four projects of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh, and one project each of Bangladesh Power Development Board and Dhaka Power Distribution Company will come up for discussion at the meeting.
Apart from selected projects, RHD will propose two expressway projects on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and Tongi-Pachdona Road. Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation will place four mills development projects.
BR will also propose a circular railway project around Dhaka, construction of railway building in Chattogram and some railway hospital development projects.
Power Grid Company of Bangladesh will place two projects to construct Raojan-Mirsarai 230kv transmission line and Matarbari-Banshkhali-Madunaghat 400kv transmission line.
smunima@yahoo.com