Bangladesh, Japan agree to fast-track key PPP projects, add new connectivity schemes

Bangladesh and Japan on Wednesday agreed to accelerate the implementation of several strategic public-private partnership (PPP) projects, while adding new bridge and transport initiatives to strengthen regional connectivity and attract sustainable investment.

The agreement came at the 8th Bangladesh-Japan Joint PPP Platform meeting, held at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka.

Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser ABM Abdus Sattar attended the meeting as chief guest. PPP Authority Chief Executive Officer Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser (Secretary rank) Dr Md Shakirul Islam Khan were also present.

The Japanese delegation was led by Special Adviser to the Prime Minister Uno Yoshimasa and included Ambassador Saida Shinichi, Assistant Vice Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Fujita Masakuni, Assistant Vice Minister for International Aviation Nakayama Reiko and other senior officials.

The meeting reviewed progress on several ongoing PPP projects, including the Kamalapur Multimodal Transport Hub, the operation and maintenance of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's Terminal 3, the Outer Ring Road and the Local Bridge Development Project under the Roads and Highways Department.

Both sides agreed to expedite implementation of the revised master plan for the Kamalapur Multimodal Transport Hub and complete the remaining contractual procedures for Terminal 3 at the earliest through regular monitoring under the joint PPP platform.

The platform also added the Shariatpur-Chandpur Bridge and the Barishal-Bhola Bridge as new priority projects to improve connectivity and support economic growth in the country's southern region.

The two countries also expressed interest in the Chattogram City Corporation's Waste-to-Energy Project and the Bhola-Lakshmipur Bridge Project. They further agreed to examine a proposal to rehabilitate old railway bridges with Japanese technical assistance.

Speaking at the meeting, Harun said the Bangladesh-Japan PPP platform had evolved into a trusted mechanism for attracting quality foreign investment.

In his closing remarks, Sattar reaffirmed the government's commitment to implementing the priority projects under the joint PPP platform within the stipulated timeframe.