The Bangladesh Railway (BR) has envisaged a project to establish commercial centres around the Kamalapur and Airport railway stations in the city at an estimated cost of Tk 50 billion (5,000 crore).
A team comprising officials from the BR and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) will visit Japan next month to negotiate with the Japanese government on the funds for implementation of the project, BR officials said.
Contacted, BR Director General Amzad Hossain told the FE that Japan had agreed to fund the project.
The government team will hold talks with their Japanese counterparts to finalise details of the project, he said. The BR plans the project to augment its revenue.
Besides, it would help ensure proper utilisation of the BR land remaining unutilised for long, he added.
According to the plan, two commercial centres will be built -- one on nine acres of land beside the Kamalapur railway station and the other on three acres of land near the Airport railway station. The centres will house five-star hotels, mega shopping malls, recreation centres, sports zone and other facilities.
"In developed countries like Japan, such commercial centres have been built around rail stations. After you get off a train there, you will find yourself at a big shopping centre. We want to do the same," the DG said.
About funding of the project, he said it can be done on the government-to-government (G to G) basis or it can be implemented under public-private partnership.
BR's revenue rose from Tk 9.35 billion (935 crore) in 2014-15 to Tk 13.50 billion in the last fiscal year (FY). On the other hand, the expenditure surged from Tk 18.08 billion to around Tk 24.0 billion during the period.
Established on the north-eastern side of Motijheel in the early 1960s, the Kamalapur railway station is the largest station in the country and the most important terminal for transportation between Dhaka and the rest of country.
It is also one of the most modern and imposing buildings in Dhaka designed by American architect Robert Boughey.
On the other hand, the Airport railway station is situated opposite the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
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