Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed expressed the fear that the Tk 2.10 billion fund the Chinese government promised for construction of the proposed 'Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre (BCFEC)' at Purbachal in the capital may be withdrawn unless necessary steps are taken, officials said.
The apprehension came in a letter to Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith by the commerce minister recently, they said.
In the letter, the commerce minister mentioned that the Chinese embassy has reminded the ministry of finalising the design of the proposed exhibition centre including overall progress of the project.
The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) has failed to get the land which was allocated by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) due to non-payment of the price of land. As a result, it is not possible to finalise its schematic design and layout plan and for it some Tk 1.38 billion is needed urgently as special allocation in favour of the EPB in the current fiscal year, it said.
The Chinese authority has informed that it would withdraw its grant from the proposed project if the schematic design and layout plan is not finalised, the letter added.
In the letter the finance minister has remarked that a project would have to be prepared and a way found out through discussion with the secretary, sources said.
In 2008, an exchange agreement was signed to construct the BCFEC between Bangladesh and China. Under the deal, the Chinese government has agreed to provide Tk 2.10 billion as grant while the government of Bangladesh will bear the rest of the amount to construct the much-desired exhibition centre.
The structure will be built on 20 acres of land at Purbachal new town, about 16 kilometres off the capital city, a high trade official said.
"We hope to start construction work of BCFEC next year if we get fund from the government," the official of the EPB told the FE Monday.
He said the design of the BCFEC will be almost similar to that of Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC). Initially the structure will be a one-storey building with the capacity to set up 500 stalls of different sizes.
He added that once the exhibition centre is built, then the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) will be held there. Besides, other organisations could arrange fairs at BCFEC throughout the year.
The EPB arranges DITF each year at Agargaon in the capital on the open ground owned by the ministry of housing and public works.
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