DHAKA, Dec 12, 2019 (BSS) – The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase today approved a total of five proposals, including a Taka 1081.45 crore proposal for conducting land development and other necessary works for the Japanese Special Economic Zone (SEZ) being built at Araihazar in Narayanganj on some 1000 acres of land.
The approval came at the 29th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase held at the Cabinet Division at Bangladesh Secretariat with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.
Briefing the reporters after the meeting, he said that TOA Corporation of Japan has been awarded the contract with Taka 1,081.45 crore for conducting the necessary land development, erecting boundary walls, constructing connecting roads, excavating retention canals, and building pumping stations at the Araihazar SEZ.
The Finance Minister said the SEZ at Araihazar would be exclusively dedicated to the Japanese investors and under the contract, land development and other necessary works would be carried out.
He said this SEZ in Narayanganj is being built in line with Prime Minister’s decision to build some 100 SEZs across the country.
Kamal said that once the works for the countrywide SEZs are completed and the industries are set up there, then the local people would have the scope for working there. “The local people will then need not to come to the capital and other big cities,” he added.
Answering to a question, the Finance Minister said that according to the Japanese investors, Bangladesh is a very lucrative and investment-friendly place for making investments. “After completion of the land development and other necessary infrastructures, it would be possible to know the actual demand (investment plan) of the Japanese investors at the Araihazar SEZ,” he added.
The purchase committee meeting also gave approval to Package number one against Afcons Infrastructure Limited for the works for upgrading the Ashuganj River Port-Sarail-Dharkhar-Akhaura Land Port highway into four-lane with a cost of Taka 572.45 crore.
The meeting also approved the Package number two against Afcons Infrastructure Limited for the works for upgrading the same highway into four-lane with a cost of Taka 1873.55 crore.
Besides, the meeting also approved a proposal from the JV of Rites Ltd (A govt of India Enterprise) and Modern Engineers Planners and Consultants Ltd Bangladesh as the consulting firm for the same highway Upgradation project with Taka 117.65 crore.
The Finance Minister said that this highway Upgradation project is being implemented under the Indian Line of Credit to boost connectivity between Bangladesh and the eastern part of India.
This four-Lane Upgradation project was first approved by the ECNEC on July 20, 2017 with an estimated cost of Taka 3,567.85 crore.