The PPP Authority is set to start by next month searching private investors for developing its tourism sector projects in four potential districts.
Officials said the Public Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) endorsed four projects of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) three to four years ago for developing international standard hotels, tourism complexes and amusement facilities in Sylhet, Cox's Bazar, Mongla and Khulna regions.
Of these projects, they said, tender for the tourism complex development project in Sylhet, Cox's Bazar and Khulna would be invited by June.
"The tender for the Sylhet Tourism Complex development project will be called by next week," said Morshed Haider, Director of PPPA.
He said three other tenders will be floated by June after holding workshops in all the localities.
According to studies conducted by national and international organisations, all the four projects are feasible for private investment.
An estimated investment of Tk 6.0 billion is expected for all the four projects. The officials, however, said the investment size depends on the proposals by the private investors after the final selection.
They said the PPPA also opened tenders of two other projects under the tourism sector just before the last national elections. But the authority did not get desired response from investors due to selection of an inappropriate timing, they added.
The PPPA officials said they have already revised the tender documents of previous and new projects based on the experiences of workshops held with the participation of potential national and international investors in all the four project areas.
According to project information, the international standard tourism complex has been designed for Sylhet to facilitate tourism based on tropical forests, wetlands, rivers, hill stations as well as scenic tea gardens.
The officials said that approximately Tk 1.0 billion of investment is required to construct a hotel cum resort of 100 keys with AAA rating on 27.59 acres of land.
The tourism complex at Cox's Bazar has been planned to facilitate tourists in the longest uninterrupted 120 kilometre sea beach, eco tourism, through providing hotel, multiplex, training centres, amusement park on around 900,000 square feet area.
The international hotel-cum-training centre has been planned in Muzgunni in Khulna on an area of 4.67 acres of land to attract tourists in the Mangrove forest 'Sundarbans', the UNESCO declared world heritage.
A three star standard hotel and facilities would be developed in the compound located besides the Pashur River in Mongla to turn the city into a business hub, centering Mongla port-related activities.
The PPPA officials said the planned facilities like multi-complex, amusement park, high street retails, outdoor and indoor activities depend on the proposals by the investors.
smunima@yahoo.com