The Public-Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) has postponed a scheduled meeting of Bangladesh-Japan joint platform following detection of coronavirus infected patients in the country, sources said.
They said that the PPPA on Monday took the decision through consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister's Office.
The 4th meeting of the platform was scheduled to be held in the city on Thursday to discuss on a possible funding of US$ 7.0 billion in six rail and road projects under the government-to-government PPP modality, sources said.
"Though the crisis in Dhaka is still not much worrying, the government's decision to shorten the Bangabandhu's birth centenary programmes has caused concern among the Japanese counterpart (The Ministry of Land Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)," said an official.
He said the PPPA could not a take decision in this regard until last week as the Japanese private sector was unwilling to come to Dhaka after detection of coronavirus cases in Japan.
But later the MLIT confirmed their joining the meeting along with the Deputy Minister.
The Japanese Ambassador in a networking meeting of Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce in Dhaka on Saturday also said that Japan expecting to contain the virus situation in a week.
Sources said some of the Japanese investors including Kajimo Corporation, which is working on investing in multi-modal transport hub at Kamlapur, have already reached here to attend the meeting.
The officials said the Bangladesh side was set to place three more projects for Japanese private sector investment. These were Bhola-Barisal bridge project, deep water container terminal project of Payra Port Authority and circular road of Bangladesh Railway in the 4th platform meeting.
