ECNEC likely to approve dedicated exhibition centre at Purbachal
UNB
The government is finally going to construct a dedicated exhibition centre at Purbachal new town to host specialized trade fairs, since nearly five and a half years have elapsed due to unavailability of suitable land for constructing this center, reports UNB.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at its next meeting today is likely to consider a project to this end titled Construction of Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center, involving Tk 796.01 crore.
ECNEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the meeting to be held at the NEC conference room in the citys Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
Talking to UNB, a Planning Ministry official said that of the total project cost, China would provide the bulk of the amount, Tk 625.70 crore, as grant. The government would provide Tk 138.18 crore while the remaining Tk 32.13 crore would come from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
EPB, under the Ministry of Commerce, will implement the project by June 2018 under the turn-key method with Chinese grant.
The official said that some 20 acres of land is now available for constructing the exhibition center at the new satellite town Purbachal in Narayanganj.
The construction of the exhibition center also aims to create scope for showcasing products of both producers and exporters to attract buyers, as well as establish a platform for both the buyers and sellers.
UNB has learned that the exhibition center would have two superior halls with room for 806 booths (9m by 9m) each, apart from arrangement for some 1,500 cars to park. Besides, there will be a conference room, press center, trade information center, reception center, service room, sub-station and other necessary facilities.
Another official at the Planning Commission told UNB the project was first approved by ECNEC on December 9, 2009 at a price of Tk 275 crore, including Tk 210 crore Chinese grant, with construction proposed at the north-western corner of Tejgaon Old Airport, near the current open-air site of the EPBs annual trade fair.
The project however failed to take off. Then following the directives of the Prime Minister and a request from the Ministry of Commerce, Rajuk finally allotted 20 acres of land at Purbachal for the initiative.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already approved the schematic design provided by the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD).
The Pre-evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting on the proposed project was held last May, where the Planning Commission recommended implementing the project at an enhanced cost of Tk 796.01 crore.
