IT village project stuck for lack of land

The fate of the proposed information technology village in Khulna hangs in balance as the 10acre land required for the purpose is not available anywhere in Khulna city, according to reliable sources in Khulna district administration.

In response to demand, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at a public meeting in Khalishpur, Khulna, on March 5, 2011, had announced setting up of an IT village, the first of its kind in the division. Although the estimated cost of the project was Tk.3,000 crore, sources in the ministry concerned said it could increase. Sources said a world-class IT village will be built in Khulna to woo different software companies from home and abroad. There will be a training centre, information centre, five-star hotel, sports ground, swimming pool, recreation centre and power station with optical fibre facilities. The IT village will be modelled on the lines of IT villages across the globe, especially Indian IT villages in Bangalore and Hyderabad. 
Accordingly, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has been sending letters to Khulna district administration, reminding them about the land requirement for the project.
The foundation stone of the IT village was laid at the Bangladesh Cable Shilpa Factory at Shiromoni under Khanjahan Ali thana in the city. However, no land could be managed within the factory premises. Later, the Prime Minister approved abandoned land of Khulna Textile Mills, which is very close to Khulna New Market area in the city. But implementation of the project was stuck due to bureaucratic tangles over a land dispute in the past few years.
Managing Director of the High-tech Park Authority, Hosne Ara Begum, wrote to the Deputy Commissioner of Khulna on October 28, 2014, asking for acquisition of 10 acres of Khas land for project implementation. But Additional Deputy Commissioner (Land Acquisition) of Khulna, Md Sultan Alam, who has been assigned the task of immediately finding 10acre Khas land for construction of the IT village, says, “So much Khas land is not available anywhere in Khulna city. We are trying our best to find out suitable land for the purpose.”
Meanwhile, Prof Dr Muhammed Alamgir, Vice-Chancellor, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), has said that if constructed, the IT village will accelerate socio-economic development of Khulna region. Appreciating the government’s initiative to establish the IT village in Khulna, President of Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Quazi Aminul Haque, said that the IT village will play an important role in boosting trade and commerce in the region.

IT village project stuck for lack of land

The fate of the proposed information technology village in Khulna hangs in balance as the 10acre land required for the purpose is not available anywhere in Khulna city, according to reliable sources in Khulna district administration. In response to demand, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at a public meeting in Khalishpur, Khulna, on March 5, 2011, had announced setting up of an IT village, the first of its kind in the division. Although the estimated cost of the project was Tk.3,000 crore, sources in the ministry concerned said it could increase. Sources said a world-class IT village will be built in Khulna to woo different software companies from home and abroad. There will be a training centre, information centre, five-star hotel, sports ground, swimming pool, recreation centre and power station with optical fibre facilities. The IT village will be modelled on the lines of IT villages across the globe, especially Indian IT villages in Bangalore and Hyderabad. Accordingly, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has been sending letters to Khulna district administration, reminding them about the land requirement for the project. The foundation stone of the IT village was laid at the Bangladesh Cable Shilpa Factory at Shiromoni under Khanjahan Ali thana in the city. However, no land could be managed within the factory premises. Later, the Prime Minister approved abandoned land of Khulna Textile Mills, which is very close to Khulna New Market area in the city. But implementation of the project was stuck due to bureaucratic tangles over a land dispute in the past few years. Managing Director of the High-tech Park Authority, Hosne Ara Begum, wrote to the Deputy Commissioner of Khulna on October 28, 2014, asking for acquisition of 10 acres of Khas land for project implementation. But Additional Deputy Commissioner (Land Acquisition) of Khulna, Md Sultan Alam, who has been assigned the task of immediately finding 10acre Khas land for construction of the IT village, says, So much Khas land is not available anywhere in Khulna city. We are trying our best to find out suitable land for the purpose. Meanwhile, Prof Dr Muhammed Alamgir, Vice-Chancellor, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), has said that if constructed, the IT village will accelerate socio-economic development of Khulna region. Appreciating the governments initiative to establish the IT village in Khulna, President of Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Quazi Aminul Haque, said that the IT village will play an important role in boosting trade and commerce in the region.