Govt seeks Korean investment for Tongi-Jhilmil subway

The Bridges Division has sought Korean investment to construct a subway from Tongi to Jhilmil and develop an elevated expressway to connect Hemayetpur in Savar with Madanpur in Narayanganj.

Korean investors are willing to invest in building a bridge on the River Meghna at Chandpur and Shariatpur points and another bridge in Bhola.

At the event titled "Infra Project Roadshow" held at a hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday, the parties discussed several issues of different infrastructure projects to be implemented within the next few years.

Representatives of 11 authorities of Bangladesh, including the Public Private Partnership Authority, the Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh Railway, Bangladesh Bridge Authority presented their proposed projects to 31 Korean construction and engineering companies.

Representatives of Bangladesh and Korean companies sat together to explore potential opportunities for cooperation in the field of infrastructure projects through in-person and virtual meetings at the event, which was arranged by the embassy of Korea in Dhaka, in cooperation with the Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra).

Appreciating collaboration in infrastructure between the two countries, particularly through the PPP platform, Sultana Afroz, secretary and chief executive officer at the Public Private Partnership Authority, said the event opened up an opportunity to discuss infrastructure projects in Bangladesh.

She said Korea is one of the important development partners of Bangladesh holding the ninth position of providing official development assistance.

Four projects, including the bridge on Bhulta-Araihazar-Bancharampur road over the River Meghna, expressway on the Dhaka-Joydebpur-Mymensingh route and a circular railway line around Dhaka city, Sultana also said.

Some private Korean companies such as Samsung, Hyundai, POSCO, GS, Halla, Taeyoug, Heelim, Dowha, Korea Expressway Corporation expressed their interest in investing on implementing PPP projects in Bangladesh, she added.

Lee Jang-keun, Korean ambassador in Dhaka, at the event said infrastructure development is the key to the success of Bangladesh's economic development and to the achievement of its grand vision to become a developed nation by 2041."

Md Abul Hossain, superintending Engineer of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, told The Business Standard, "We have presented some projects to our Korean counterpart and they also expressed interest in some other projects. "We hope both parties will reach a decision to implement some projects with Korean support," he said.

Masudur Rahman, director of a railway project, said, "We presented a dozen of pipeline projects before the Korean team to reach a decision about investment. There are some multibillion dollar projects, including a circular rail line around Dhaka city and a rail line from Bhanga to Payra port."